The One in the Shadows
by desiking75
Summary: Harry Potter is the twin brother of the boy who lived, sorted into Slytherin. He resents living in his brother's shadow. Join him as he finds his own calling and makes his mark on the wizarding world. "Wherever you go, leave your mark"- desiking75
1. The Lone Traveller

Chapter 1: A Boring Birthday

**Chapter 1: A Boring Birthday **

Harry Potter sat on his bed, his chin resting on his knees. It was the thirty first of July, his seventeenth birthday, yet Harry wasn't happy. Why? Well, because of one person- his brother.

Because his brother was the boy-who-lived, he got everything. Today was no different. Every since he, Harry, had been sorted into Slytherin, his family kept their distance; he couldn't even invite his friends over because they could be a "danger" to his brother. Absentmindedly, he rubbed the scar on his forehead. 

"Hey Harry, you want to come down and enjoy for a bit?" Sirius, Harry's godfather asked him. 

"No it's alright, none of my friends are even here" Harry said putting on a smile to appease Sirius. Unfortunately, the man didn't buy it. 

"I know you feel a bit left out because you couldn't invite any of your friends to your own birthday, but understand that your parents are protective of your brother because of the prophecy. I know it seems like they hate you, but I promise you that they don't" Sirius told him softly.

"If they cared enough, they would have come up themselves" Harry answered bitterly.

"Harry, now you know that they couldn't even if they wanted to. They have to host the party downstairs and can't leave" Sirius explained. "Besides, Jen's getting lonely downstairs by herself with all those Gryffindors" Jennifer Anne Black was Sirius' daughter and like a little sister to Harry. Both had formed a great kinship after being sorted into Slytherin. Jen was four years younger than Harry and going into her third year at Hogwarts. Sirius had married Elizabeth Greene two years after James and Lily married and had two kids since- Jen and Andy. Andy was two years younger than Jen and an avid follower of the boy-who lived.

"Thanks for the offer Sirius, but I'm fine up here" Harry told him and hugged his godfather. 

"Alright, but I'll bring you up some cake in a few minutes" Sirius said as he got up to leave. 

"Yeah" Harry said absentmindedly. An owl flew in through the window and landed on his bed. It was followed by two tawny owls and an eagle; all three birds had gifts from his friends. Harry picked up the eagle's package first and began to read:

_Dear Harry,_

_How's the party going? You're probably in your room sulking anyway, so I thought I'd send you your gift now. Happy Birthday_

_Your friend _

_Draco_

_PS. When we get back to school, we can really celebrate if you want_

Harry smiled and opened the elegantly wrapped gift. As the gift wrap fell to the floor, a navigator ring was revealed. Harry wasn't sure exactly what these did, but he knew they were dead expensive. Harry mentally noted to thank Draco later.

Neatly setting the gift aside (hidden from the prying eyes of others), he pulled out the next letter/gift which he promptly read:

_Dear Harry, _

_Happy Birthday! Wow, too bad we can't be there in person, but hope it's not too bad at your place with all those Gryffindors. Anyway, I saw this as I was going shopping and thought it would be wonderful for you! _

_Sincerely,_

_Daphne _

Harry smiled and opened the gift that accompanied the letter. He could feel the dark magic pulsating from the object and knew it was purchased in Knockturn alley. When he opened it, he found a pair of sunglasses. He shrugged and put them away and noted to ask Daphne how they worked later.

Just as he put the gift away, his door opened and Jen Black came in slowly as if trying not to wake someone up. Harry watched amusedly as she stepped inside carefully. "You can come in y'know?" Harry told her and she blushed before walking in and sitting down. "So, what brings you to my retreat?" Harry asked.

"Well, I was getting pretty bored down there and decided it would be better up here" Jen told him. "Oh, and I wanted to wish you a happy birthday" she added as Harry eyed her suspiciously. 

"You know you can't lie to me; what do you want?" He asked her, his anger reaching its limit.

"Well, dad wants you to come down because he's concerned about you and sent me up to do the dirty work" Jen got out after being stared down. 

"Well, that was pretty easy. But now that you're here and I refuse, what exactly can you do?" Harry asked her returning to his work. 

"Well, actually I would rather stay with you. It was getting pretty boring with all those damned aristocrats and important people down there. Hardly can stand it after a while" Jen answered cheekily. The boy-who-lived parties were never a small affair. Many times half the ministry was invited to attend as well as all of the bwl's friends. Harry and Jen however were the only slytherin's allowed to come. 

"Yeah, I hear you. But by next year I'll finally be able to leave this thrice damned house and my thrice damned family" 

"Hey, that's not fair. Your brother treats you fine really" Jen pointed out. Harry looked away in favor of not answering. "Fine, don't respond. So, your presents came?" She asked looking at the two unopened parcels. "Why don't you open your gifts?" and before Harry could respond, she grabbed a parcel and ripped the paper open. "Hmm, not bad" she commented keeping the gift hidden from Harry's view. 

Harry made a grab for it and saw that it wasn't bad at all. It was a watch with all sorts of hands that told anything but the time. It told the weather and when he forgot something (like a remembrall) and about ten other things Harry couldn't understand. 

"Why do you get all the cool gizmos from all your friends?" Jen pouted.

"They're not cool gizmos as much as they are dark" Harry pointed out. "if you were given anything like that, you wouldn't be able to keep it out of Gryffindor sight" Harry pointed out. 

"Fine, I get it; I'm not exactly good at hiding things. Anyway, I heard you were going to be captain of the Slytherin Team this year" 

"I don't know, the letter didn't come yet" Harry pointed out.

"Come on Harry, you're a shoo in for captain. You're the best seeker we've had since well… ever." Jen pointed out. "You've been on the team for almost seven years and besides, everyone is deathly afraid of you" 

Harry's head jolted up. "No they're not, just the other houses" 

"Yes they are Harry. All the slytherin's think of you as their leader or something along those lines. If you ran into the common room and yelled and order, all except the firsties would obey" 

"So everyone hates me?" Harry asked unsure of himself.

"No, everyone respects you. People from my year idolize you to some extent and now as a seventh year you can claim your throne as the king of snakes" Jen joked, but missed Harry's feral grin. This may just be a good year after all. 


	2. A Hidden Dealing

N: I want to thank everyone who read this story and reviewed, I'm very grateful to all of you (Tx-Dancegirl-9657, Isebas, Taik

**Chapter 2**

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who read this story and reviewed, I'm very grateful to all of you (Tx-Dancegirl-9657, Isebas, Taiki my first 3 reviewers THX!!) Anyway, this chapter was a bit rushed but without further ado… Chapter 2!**

"Harry, come down, we're going to Diagon Alley in ten minutes!" shouted Thomas Potter, also known to most of the wizarding world as the BWL. "I promised Ron and Hermione we'd be at the Leaky Cauldron by one and it's already five past!"

Harry groaned as he left his room grudgingly. He didn't really want to go to Diagon Alley with his brother's friends, but he had chosen to go simply because this way he could avoid going with his parents.

"I'm coming, you don't have to wake up the neighborhood" Harry said moodily.

The twins flooed to the LC where Harry tumbled out of the fireplace in a huge mess of robes and hair. Ron immediately eyed him suspiciously.

"Why's the _Slytherin _here?" He asked spitting out the word like a curse.

"Do shut up Weasley, but if you must know, I am here to buy my school supplies, much like yourself" Harry responded coolly and Ron fumed.

"You think you're so great don't you? Going to become a death eater soon? Already past majority aren't you? Bet you Voldemort has already asked you to join him hasn't he?" Ron sneered. Harry quickly gauged Thomas' reaction. His brother didn't make any move to disagree or come to his defense.

"Shut up Weasley" his voice oozing with barely restrained anger.

"Hit a sensitive topic have I?" Ron sneered. Harry gritted his teeth and closed his eyes choosing to ignore the annoying redhead.

"I'll meet up with you three later, I have to go get some new potions ingredients" Harry told his brother before heading off to the apothecary. As soon as he entered the shop, he quickly apparated to Knockturn alley, where his three best friends were waiting for him.

"Took you long enough to get here" Draco Malfoy greeted his best friend.

"Yeah mate, we thought you got lost in the floo, wouldn't be the first time eh?" Theodore Nott commented and Harry cuffed him on the head good-naturedly.

"Oh Harry it's so great to see you" Daphne Greengrass greeted him with a hug, and then she hit him on the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us you made head boy and quidditch captain?"

Harry put up his hands in mock surrender. "Easy people, one question at a time, and how did you guys find out that I made head boy?" Harry asked curiously. He had never told anyone, not even his parents.

"It helps when you have a father in the Board of Governors" Malfoy answered.

"Right, forgot about that" Harry admitted sheepishly. "Well, we shouldn't just stand here now should we? I have to be back to my dear family in an hour or so" Harry pointed out regaining his composure. Before anyone could respond, he led his friends to the best apothecary in the alley.

"Hey Harry, why exactly are we in an apothecary?" Theo asked looking around at all the weird ingredients.

"No reason" Harry responded dryly before pulling out a small sack. Draco and Daphne both raised an eyebrow not buying Harry's answer. Harry ignored them in favor of going up to the counter in the back. This part of the shop exuded a dark and dreary feeling, much like a dungeon in winter.

"May I help you?" A man wheezed out. His voice was cracked and he had a wicked smile on his face.

"Yes, I have acquired certain ingredients that you may find interesting. I would be willing to sell them to you" Harry whispered making sure his friends weren't watching. He handed the bag to the owner and watched as the man gasped at the contents.

"Are these authentic?" Was the only thing the owner could get out and Harry nodded in the affirmative. "Very well, I will pay you sixty galleons for the entire bag" The owner offered him.

"I am not a fool and know very well what is in that bag is worth at least six hundred twenty galleons. You give me six hundred and call it a deal" Harry told the man.

"I'll give you two hundred, and no more!" The owner shot back.

"Five fifty is the lowest I'll go"

"Four hundred is all I can offer. I do have a business to fund" The shop owner asked hoping to appease Harry.

"Five hundred or I'll walk out here right now" Harry hissed, his patience waning. For a second his eyes flared a mighty green and the shop owner squeaked in fear.

"Very well sir, let me just get your money" The shop owner got out still shaking from fear.

"That will be acceptable, be back quickly" Harry ordered, inwardly smiling. He had gotten the money he needed. As soon as the shop owner handed him the money, he turned back to his friends. "Let's get on with whatever else we need to get guys, I'm done here"

"What was that all about anyway?" Daphne asked curiously. Usually Harry was more open in any dealings he had.

"Nothing, I just needed some ingredients changed" Harry replied nonchalantly "oh, I think we all need dress robes don't we?" Harry pointed out as they neared the seamstress' shop.

"Oh, that's right!" Daphne cried "we all have to buy a set of dress robes for graduation this year!" She grabbed the three boys' hands and ran inside the shop at mach speed. As the made their way into the shop, Harry inwardly smirked at his distraction. It had worked better than he hoped it would.

"Alright, who would like to go first?" the seamstress asked looking at the four teens. "How about you dear?" the woman asked pointing at Harry; it wasn't a request.

As Draco and Theo snickered, Harry groaned and made his way to where the seamstress was pointing. This was going to be a long visit.

Thirty minutes and seven stabs later, Harry was released from the clutches of the vindictive seamstress and set free to choose a set of robes. Fortunately for him, Daphne had already gone through the trouble of choosing robes for each of them.

"Hey Draco, you're next" He told the blond and turned to the two waiting "I'm going to go around the alley to buy some supplies to save time. You guys want anything?"

"Yeah, could you get me some parchment and an ice cream?" Theo requested.

"Oh and I need a new quick quotes quill" Daphne added. Harry rolled his eyes. Quick quotes quills were the most useless things in the world according to Harry.

"Alright then, I'll be back soon" Harry promised and made his way down the alley towards Gringotts. He had an important deposit to make.

**A/N: Ok, a few things I was too stupid to mention before. One, this will NOT be a slash fic. It will either be Harry/OC or Harry/Cannon. No, I have not decided yet, but I have the story planned out either way. If you want to put your idea into a review, feel free, but that's up to you. Anyway hope you enjoyed the story and if you have any questions that are not about what happens next, feel free to ask. **


	3. The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Alright you two, we'll see you during Christmas!" Lily yelled to the boys as they made their way to the Hogwarts express. James would have too, but he was still too busy congratulating and hugging Thomas to care about Harry. Not that he cared of course.

Harry made his way to meet his friends before the train began movement. What he found was a sight he wasn't prepared for. Daphne and Theo were snogging each other without any restraint. They hadn't even noticed his entrance yet! "Hem hem" he coughed into his fist getting their attention.

The duo pulled apart flushing with embarrassment. "Hey Harry, um, well, you see…" Theo trailed off. Suddenly Harry broke into a smile.

"I couldn't be happier for you, although the Notts might not say the same" Harry warned and Theo nodded.

"Theo and I are going to try to keep our relationship under wraps for a bit" Daphne bit her lip.

"I won't tell anyone, but you two should be more careful" Harry warned them "Snogging in public places kinda screams it out eh?" Harry said and both had the decency to blush. "Have either of you seen Malfoy?"

"No, but you should see him in a bit. He's a prefect again this year" Daphne reminded him.

"Right, well I'd better head to the carriage. Couldn't have the head boy being late could we?" Harry headed to the prefect carriage and slowly opened the door just in time to hear granger's voice.

"I wonder who made head boy this year" She seemed to be asking Ron, the male Gryffindor prefect. Harry entered.

"That would be me Granger" he said as he took his seat, smirking inwardly at her shock. Harry scanned the table for Malfoy, but he couldn't be found.

"All the prefects here?" Harry asked Granger. She answered civilly which surprised Harry somewhat.

"No, we're missing Malfoy, Parvati and Padma" She counted ticking them off her list.

"Right then, the train should be moving in about a minute, so would you care to begin?" Harry asked the girl who was going over all the papers in her hand. She blushed.

"Alright settle down" She tried to no avail. "Settle down" She repeated a few more times, but again to no avail.

"OI EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Harry screamed getting annoyed by the lack of discipline as well as Granger's voice. She glared at him.

"Now, that we have everyone's attention, let's address the matters of patrols…" Harry zoned out after that.

Soon, after granger had just about said as much as could be said, the meeting was adjourned. Harry lazily got up and began limping towards his friends' compartment. His leg had fallen asleep during one of Granger's rants. Why did the damned girl have to talk so much?

As Harry neared his compartment, he hear quiet sobs coming from a compartment on his right. Sighing, he decided to see who it was crying and what their problem was.

He slid open the door to find….

(To end the chapter or not to end the chapter that is the question)

Draco Malfoy.

**A/N Thanks to everyone for their review (especially tonksiscool who made may valid points thx) **

**Ok to answer her review, I will NOT tell you what happened on that fateful day yet. It is a part of the story, so patience is key here. I will however, tell you about the past six years. **

**Voldemort came back when the same way as he did in Cannon- the whole triwizard thing. Thomas is good at quidditch (not as good as Harry in canon but…) and he passed the tasks the same way (except the second one which as the same as movie cannon). Harry may or may not be the BWL, I shant tell either way. Moving on to more important years, fifth year went by without a hitch (there's a reason why), sixth year was full of attacks in Europe and this is when it all comes full circle. **

**There was a stone first year and it was protected (because of Dumbledore's enchantment noone went to save it). Second year, the diary was not given to anyone, but Harry discovered the chamber of secrets none the less and is very friendly with the snake he has dubbed Issac. Third year was when Pettigrew was discovered by Thomas who currently has both the map and cloak. **

**Also, thanks for pointing out my error as well, I really slipped up there. Anyway, that's good because it show's you're actually reading the story…**

**Anyway, I know this is a really short chapter, but it's only been a day since the last update, so consider it a bonus. Enjoy and review!!**


	4. A Serpent's Request

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Draco, what's wrong?" Harry asked his friend, annoyance turning into concern. Draco looked up, his eyes puffy and red. He didn't respond. In fact, it looked as if he still hadn't noticed Harry. Harry tried again "Draco, what's wrong? Are you ok mate?"

Slowly Draco looked up. Now Harry didn't know much about snobby pureblood stuff, but he knew purebloods didn't cry in public- especially if they were Slytherins. Silence took over. Harry felt that right now Draco didn't need to be interrogated right away. He sat down and put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

Suddenly the door flew open and a very annoyed head girl barged in.

"There you are Malfoy! You know as a prefect you-" Granger stopped mid rant when she saw Draco. Harry immediately pulled his wand out and pointed it at her. In a harsh voice he spoke.

"You will NOT mention anything you saw understood? You yelled at Draco and left after he insulted you understand?" Hermione nodded nearly paralyzed in fear. "Good, leave now" Harry commanded and the girl didn't even think of disobeying. He turned back to Draco and spoke in a much softer tone. "Come, on you best put your robes on. We're almost there. I'll fix you up with a few glamour charms and we'll eat in the head's rooms today" he prompted and his friend silently obeyed.

"Come on, I know a faster way to the Head dorms" Harry prompted and Draco followed sullenly. The pair reached a portrait of a centaur.

"Hello young ones how are you this fine day?" The centaur asked them politely.

"Fireball" Harry said cutting the centaur off and he swung open to reveal a small common room decorated in green, silver and red and gold. On either side were doorways that lead into private studies. One was for him he assumed and the other for the granger girl.

"Come on Draco sit down and let's talk about what's going on" Harry prompted and threw himself on a couch.

Slowly and quietly Draco began speaking.

"He's out to kill me" He whispered, but Harry heard it.

"Who Draco, who's out to kill you?" Harry pressed.

"The Dark Lord. He wants to kill me to punish my father for his failure" Draco said frantically. Harry was shocked. Whatever he had expected Draco to say, this wasn't it.

"How do you know?" Harry asked his voice wavering.

"He's given me a mission; I have to kill Dumbledore before the year's over or he'll kill me and my family" Draco told him. "You have to help me Harry; you're my only hope" Draco nearly begged. Harry's face took an impassive expression.

"What makes you think I can help you?" Harry asked coolly interested in what Draco would respond with.

"I know you can help me Harry, you're the most powerful person in the school save Dumbledore. You could be even greater than the dark lord if you put your mind to it" Harry began to think. Could he really actually help Draco out? They had been friends for almost seven years and had entrusted each other with everything.

"Fine, I will help you, but we have to move fast. I'll tell you what to do soon enough, and when the time comes, you'll have to listen to me without question" Harry warned, ideas formulating in his mind. This would be difficult yes, but he thrived on challenges. "Alright, we better get to sleep soon. Don't worry so much, I promised I'd help you and I will. Have some faith in me" Harry told Draco patting him on the back.

What Harry didn't know was how much those words meant to Draco.

After depositing Draco to the boys' dorm, Harry slipped out of the common room unnoticed. Donning several invisibility spells, he slipped into the Girls' bathroom and began to hiss in a strange tongue. A slide appeared and he entered. The portal closed.

He continued through the chamber hissing whenever he met a door. Finally he approached the stone face of a man.

"_Speak to me greatest of the Hogwarts four!" _He hissed and the mouth of the man opened and a huge serpent cam out.

"_Hello master, you are finally back"_ Isaac hissed.

"_Yes, summer is finally over"_ Harry smiled. _"I wasn't gone that long was I?"_

"_It felt like forever. It can get stuffy in that little hole"_ The snake admitted_. "Anyway master, have you tried to take the potion I recommended?" _

"_No, I don't have the time or need to become an animagus at the moment" _

"_Have you at least fulfilled that promise you made me?"_ The serpent asked hopefully.

"_Of course I have. I never go back on my word. I may twist my words, but I would never lie to a friend"_ Harry informed the serpent with conviction.

"_Thank you master, it means the world to me that you have helped me"_

"_Think nothing of it old friend"_ Harry said waving the serpent off_. "Do you mind if I sleep down here tonight? I really am too tired to travel back"_ Harry admitted suppressing a yawn.

"_Of course you may sleep here master, you need not ask of my permission. May I sleep here as well? I do not wish to go back into that man's foul mouth!" _

"_Very well, but please do not wander. I don't want anyone finding out about you. Wake me up before classes will you?" _

"_Of course Master, pleasant dreams"_ Harry quickly conjured up a mattress for himself and a giant cushion for his serpent friend. Both were asleep as soon as they hit their beds.


	5. A New Arrival

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Bloody stupid snake" Harry muttered under his breath as he ran to the great hall. Isaac had woken his almost half an hour late and he barely had time to run upstairs and get ready.

As he turned a corner, he crashed into someone and tumbled down to the ground and hit his head. As he turned and was about to yell at the person, he saw who it was. It was a girl with silky brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. His heart softened immediately.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She asked hurriedly, helping him gather his things.

"I'm fine thanks" He told her. "I haven't seen you around here, you new?" He asked. She looked to be around his age and had a Gryffindor crest on her uniform.

"Yes, I just transferred here from America" She answered hesitantly. Harry looked at his watch and cursed.

"Sorry, I'd love to chat, but I'm late" he told her quickly before hurrying off. As he neared the great hall and slipped into his chair, Snape spotted him and came over.

"Mr. Potter, it is unbecoming of the head boy to arrive late" he told him shortly. Over the years, Harry had done a lot to get on Snape's good side, but Snape still saw a bit of James Potter in Harry's looks. Snape handed Harry his schedule and stalked away.

"Wow mate, you're later than usual" Theo commented, on arm wrapped around Daphne's waist.

"Yeah Harry, is everything alright?" Daphne asked.

"Everything is fine, now if you'll stop with the questions, I'd like some breakfast" As soon as Harry picked up a plate however, all the food vanished from the table and he groaned. "Just my luck"

Theo, Daphne and Draco, who seemed back to normal, laughed and began to head out.

Draco tapped Harry on the shoulder as a gesture to stay back. "I just want to say, thank you, for yesterday" Harry smiled and waved it off.

"Right, you can pay me back by doing the runes essay for me" Harry told him and Draco slapped his forehead.

"You know that there is such a thing as charity right?" Draco asked him incredulously. Harry laughed and checked his schedule.

"We have Potions first, and then Transfiguration" Harry noted. "Daphne is in potions with us isn't she?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I think she should be. Theo is in Transfiguration with us and all four of us have runes together. Theo, Daphne and I also have Herbology together as well" Draco reminded him. "You're the only idiot who took arithmancy" Draco joked.

"Shut up, you would have taken it too if you knew she was going to be in it" Harry teased and Draco punched him on the shoulder playfully.

Luckily, Snape had not arrived yet, so they weren't considered late

"Malfoy, Potter" Weasley sneered at them. "Start the Death eater's club yet?"

Harry's patience was wearing thin. He had already been late, not had a meal yet and was running on no caffeine for the morning.

"Piss off Weasley" he told the redhead and leaned against a wall and closed his eyes.

"Can't come up with anything more creative than that?" Weasley sneered again.

"Do you have to be so goddamned loud in the morning?" Harry retorted not bothering to open his eyes. This infuriated Weasley to no end. Lucky for Harry that Snape came as soon as was about to explode.

"Mr. Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor for no doubt being on the brink of doing something idiotic" Snape told him nonchalantly.

"Now as you all know, your NEWTS are coming up this year…" And the rant of the infamous NEWTS began.

"Wow, I can't believe the work Snape and McGonagall gave us just for one day!" Draco groaned. All four friends were sitting in the Head common room chatting amicably.

"Yeah, you also have that two foot Herbology essay as well. Since we have the rest of the day free, why don't you do it now?" Theo suggested giving Daphne a kiss on the top of her head.

"You two have gotten really lovey dovey over the past few days" Harry noticed and both promptly turned red. Just then the portrait door opened and the golden trio entered.

"I mean honestly Ronald, our NEWTS are huge deal" Hermione's voice came. Suddenly, both parties noticed each other. Weasley was the first to communicate.

"Get out of here, these are the Head's quarters!" he said stupidly.

"Yes, and that means I have a right to be here" Harry answered slowly. Ron looked triumphant for a second.

"Well your little buddies aren't heads, so they should leave!" He declared triumphantly and Granger smacked her forehead.

"That means you should leave too eh Weasley? Last I checked, you weren't head boy" Draco said and then adopted a pensive look. "Although you could have made head girl" He finished and Weasley fumed.

"Shut up you death eater scum!" he yelled.

"Clever Weasley. Anyway, let's leave, I can't stand being around the mudblood anyway" Draco stated and the four turned to leave. As soon as the portrait closed behind them, Harry thwacked Draco on the back of his head. "Ow, what was that for?" Draco asked rubbing his head.

"You know how I feel about that word" Harry reminded him coldly. Realization dawned on Draco.

"Right, sorry mate" he amended. The two turned around to see Daphne and Theo gone. "Where'd those two get to?"

"Probably snogging each other's brains out" Harry answered absentmindedly. "Come on, the common room is the best place to work for now" Harry told him and the two proceeded to the dungeons.

**A/N: I know, kinda short, but it was a quick update. Moving on, what did you think? This was mostly a filler chapter, but it did serve a huge purpose- it introduced the first OC. Also, I will declare one pairing in the story officially. **

**Drumroll**

**Theo/Daphne… wow don't kill me. Yes, it was kinda obvious, but I'd like to keep the other pairing a bit up there for a while. I'm leaning toward a Draco/Hermione, but dunno if I should do that. Any ideas? **

**So, I know I've been updating a lot lately (even though they're short chapters), but eventually I'm going to stop for a week or two to go back to my other story (which I highly recommend) to finish it. It's a slight H/G and will eventually change around. The plot is basically Harry and Ginny go back in time to teach the Marauders and to find and old relic of Voldemort. Its mostly DH compliant. **

**Anyway, back to the subject at hand. The chapter; how did you like it? Any ideas suggestions? Comments? Candy recommendations? Anything? REVIEW!! Oh, and I'm please to see that this story has over 2,500 hits! Thanks to all who have read and reviewed (if I have time next chapter, I'll list out all the reviewers). If anyone wants to recommend a name for OC # 1, feel free to do so. I have a list of names I like, but am open to suggestions. Once again, thx for reading!**


	6. Extending the Hand of Friendship

Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Hey mate, help me with the transfiguration essay please" Theo asked Harry and pulled him aside.

"Why do I have a feeling that we're not discussing transfiguration?" Harry asked. Theo ignored him.

"Listen, there's a Hogsmeade weekend this week and I was wondering where I should take her" Theo asked nervously. Harry shrugged noncommittally.

"Take her someplace simple yet nice" Harry suggested. "I hear there's a great barista near Scrivenshaft's" Theo smiled at the idea.

"Thanks mate, but a coffee isn't going to take the whole day to drink" Theo told him.

"Then get a pastry too" Harry responded enigmatically and got up to leave.

"Why do you have to speak in riddles at a time like this?" Theo yelled after him. He adopted a pensive look "unless he actually advised me to buy a pastry with the coffee… Damned bloody useless smart people!"

Harry smiled at Theo's tantrum and slipped out of the common room. He loved the Slytherin common room, but it was just way too noisy. Besides, he had his own chamber in which he could relax and work. He slipped into the chamber of secrets and was greeted by Isaac.

"_So, what brings you to my humble abode?"_ Isaac asked with mock grandeur.

"_Shut up Isaac, I'm tired"_

"_Of course master, but may I inquire to why you are not with your friends?"_ Isaac asked formally.

"_Yeah, you can. Well Draco is busy with Pansy, although I can't understand why. He obviously can't stand her. Theo is trying to plan a date with Daphne, and Daphne is hanging out with her female Ravenclaw friends"_ Harry counted on his fingers. _"So all that's left is you" _

"_Glad to know that I'm your go to guy when you're bored"_ Isaac mumbled sarcastically. Harry felt slightly bad for putting it the way he did.

"_You know I'm joking. I would come here more often if I could, you know that, but I don't want to get caught. In fact I can't have anyone discover that I can speak"_ Harry reminded the snake.

"_I know, but it does get quite boring here all alone"_ Isaac informed him in a dull tone.

"_Well, if you let me, I can put a shrinking charm on you and you can go into the forest and make some of your own friends or even find a mate"_ Harry offered.

"_Basilisks don't befriend other snakes. We are the kings of all serpents therefore we rule over all others"_ Isaac said dramatically.

"_Your loss then"_ Harry muttered.

"_Anyway, I know you came here for a reason besides being bored. If you were really bored, you would have found something productive to do"_ Isaac noted catching Harry is his own fib.

"_Right as always Isaac, sometimes I wonder how you do it"_

"_I'm a thousand years old. You learn a few things if you live that long" _Isaac bragged.

"_Exactly why I came down here" _Harry pointed out. _"You were Slytherin's familiar were you not?"_ Harry asked carefully and Isaac nodded. _"So you can teach me Parselmagic right?" Harry asked excitedly._

"_Yes and no. I can name spells for you, but I have no memory of wand movements or any such thing"_ Isaac informed him.

"_Why would you remember a spell and not the wand movements?" _

"_It could be because I have no wand to use, nor do I have an arm to wave"_ Isaac's voice oozed with sarcasm.

"_Right, sorry about that"_ Harry apologized sheepishly.

"_Anyway, get a parchment and write these down" _

_­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_

It was finally the weekend. The first Hogsmeade weekend to be precise, and yet Harry could not have felt worse about it. Usually, he would go with his friends, but this year Theo and Daphne were going together, Draco had to go with Pansy ("It's a pureblood thing" he had told Harry) and his other dorm mates were otherwise occupied.

"Damn I feel so lousy going alone" he muttered to himself as he was patted down by the caretaker. As he was walking to the village, he saw a girl just ahead of him. He recognized her from the first day when he had crashed into her. He ran to catch up with her. "Hey" he said nonchalantly. She turned to him and it dawned on her as to who he was.

"Oh, hi! You're the guy I ran in to" She smiled.

"Well if you put it that way, it makes me look stupid" He joked. The two walked quietly to the village together. "So, why is a pretty girl such as you going alone to Hogsmeade for the first time?" Harry asked her.

"Well, I don't really know anyone well enough to go with them. Hermione's the only Dorm mate I have who I can actually stand!" She told him and Harry snorted. She extended her hand. "My name's Aliss by the way"

He smiled. "Harry" he said accepting her hand.

**A/N: The day at Hogsmeade isn't over yet. And shadowcub, you'll be please to know that there will be little to none Luna in this story. Its not that I don't like Luna, its just I can't do her character justice. She's an amazing character and JKR developed her so well and I really don't want to kill it. **

**Oh, and if you want to check out yet another story of mine, go to and search the username "Prodigious." See if you enjoy that, it's another AU about Harry's brother being the BWL and Harry himself being orphaned for "his own safety." It's a bit poorly written, but check it out if you feel like it. **

**Anyway, it is my duty as an author to beg my readers for reviews. I mean seriously, under thirty reviews for five chapters? That's just plain wrong. So I guess I'll make you a deal. The number of reviews I get will be inversely proportional to the update time and directly proportional to the length of the chapter. S o more reviews equal longer chapters and less wait time between chapter. **

**I have actual work to do now, so I'll end my rant here. **


	7. Hogsmeade

Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"So, how do you like Hogwarts?" Harry asked Aliss as they sipped butterbeer in the three Broomsticks.

"It's nice, although quite small" Harry nearly choked on his drink.

"Small? If Hogwarts is small, I really don't want to know what big is" Aliss smiled.

"I didn't mean that exactly. I meant that compared to Salem, its quite small" She rectified.

"Oh, I see. So, how was Salem?" Harry asked and Aliss' face immediately lit up.

"Well, it was much bigger than Hogwarts see, because we had many more people. It was an all girls school and there were no houses" Aliss told him nostalgically.

"Oh? So how were the students separated?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, instead on four towers, we had seven sets of dorms. Each year slept in a separate dorm complex" Aliss told him, wistfully. "In each dorm, there was a huge common room and a small game room full of muggle games"

"That seems quite nice, much nicer than here in fact" Harry noticed that her face changed slightly. "Miss Salem do you?" Harry asked.

"Of course I do! I've attended school for six years of my like there! I made my friends and grew up there. It would be inhuman not to miss it" Aliss said.

"Of course; say, do you want the full tour of the village?" Harry asked finishing the butterbeer.

"Sure" Aliss smiled and the two left together.

"That was amazing" Aliss breathed as they finished their tour of the village. "I've never actually been to an all wizarding town before"

"Don't they have those in America?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, they have a lot, but I've never got to visit one. My parents were very strict and Salem was not surrounded by one" Aliss told him absentmindedly. "You know, I overheard some teachers talking about some huge announcement the other day. I think something big is happening today" Aliss muttered to herself.

"Yeah, probably, but I highly doubt that it's going to be too exciting" Harry sighed. "Probably something like a boring new class being formed, or some two bit club" Harry sighed "I wish something fun would actually take place in this damned school"

Aliss laughed. "And what do you classify as fun?" She asked playfully.

"Well, I wouldn't mind a-" He was cut of by Weasley and Thomas.

"Hey snake boy, get away from the new lion. We don't want her to be corrupted by slimy gits like you!" Weasley screeched. Harry stuck up his hand and made a rude gesture with it without even turning back. Weasley fumed. What happened next however shocked Harry.

"Yeah Harry, why don't you go hand out with all your little death eater friends?" Thomas sneered and Harry's bloody ran cold. His body went stiff and he stormed back to the castle without even looking back.

"Harry, where are you going?" Aliss shouted and began to pursue him. He however didn't stop until he reached the castle gates. "Wait up!"

He quickened his pace. He broke into a power walk and didn't stop until he reached the Slytherin dorms.

"Harry, mate, what's wrong?" Theo asked seeing Harry's face, but Harry didn't bother to respond. He went up to his dorm and took out a small diary and began to write. He didn't stop until he ran full out of the ink he was using.

Draco looked toward the Slytherin dorms. Harry still hadn't come out and he was worried. He didn't dare disturb his friend upstairs, no one was crazy enough to do that, but this was getting ridiculous! Harry had even skipped out on dinner and dessert. Something had happened and Draco was curious to know exactly what it was.

"Hey Draco, Harry down yet?" Theo asked as he and Daphne took a seat across from Draco.

"Not yet" Draco told him, lost in his thoughts.

"I hope he's okay. The last time this happened was when Potter made it into the triwizard tournament. Harry locked himself in the dorm for almost two days" Daphne recalled.

"Yeah, but I'm more worried about him missing _that_" Draco told them.

Theo chuckled. "Yeah, if we didn't tell him and he did miss it, he would be right ticked off at us. I mean, he'd probably hex us" Theo thought aloud.

"Well, if he doesn't come down tomorrow morning, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! He knows Snape will kill him if he doesn't show to potions tomorrow" Daphne said, folding her hands.

"Then _you_ wake him Daph; your temper is the only one that can match his!" Theo exclaimed pushing Daphne towards the dorms.

"Nice of you to through your girlfriend to the dogs Nott!" Daphne exclaimed pushing him on the arm playfully. "I thought I meant more to you that that!"

"Fine, we'll flip a coin, okay?" Draco offered. "Heads Daphne goes and tails Theo can go" Draco said and pulled out a galleon.

"Funny Draco, but I have a better idea" Daphne said smiling wickedly. "Send Crabbe and Goyle to go get Harry. Those two are as thick as trolls" Draco and Theo looked at each other and sported twin smirks as well.

"OH, Crabbe, Goyle!"

**A/N: First things first, my first review of the last chapter, thanks to BrightFeather. And in response to your review, the username is on the site harrypotterfanfiction, not FFN. Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed and all that stuff. **

**A lot going on in my world; to anyone who follows the Barrack Clinton struggle, you guys no what I'm talking about. The suspense is murderous. So, my chapter was quite short, and I would produce longer chapters if I didn't have to do a report on the uses and theory of Fractals. Why does anyone care anyway? Sure they look great, but why study them? They seem totally annoying. In fact the only fractal I like is the triforce in Zelda. The one brilliant use of a fractal. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and the rant about the most impersonal things in my life. If you have the time, go to youtube and type in "Mandelbrot zoom" and listen to the song. When you call something a "badass fractal" its like hilarious. Math nerd cursing snort snort (No offence to anyone esp. Asians of Chinese/Korean descent. It's all for laughs, nothing serious)**


	8. IMPORTANT

Random Facts that I should mention about the story: NOTE: This is no way part of the story, but just a really long A/N

**Random Facts that I should mention about the story: NOTE: This is no way part of the story, but just a really long A/N**

**Okay, someone sent me a review recently in which he criticized the lack of information I gave. I was going to give certain bits and pieces throughout the story, but some people are impatient or get confused easily. Also, they said that I have small shallow chapters. I agree, they are small and somewhat shallow, but I find that people enjoy them more this way. Also, I would like to point out that the shorter the chapters, the easier they are for me to type, therefore, the faster I can release them. Make sense? Hope so, or you guys need to go back to algebra. Anyway, I'm releasing this basic info sheet for you to look at about Harry's past. Why in god's name am I still using bold font??**

That's better, so onward with the query. What exactly does that mean? Oh well, who cares?

Ok, so let me get one thing straight. Harry was NOT an abused kid, okay? He was not taken to the closet and beaten senseless with a sack of Florida oranges. NO! I can't believe that a parent would do that to a child just because of fame. NO.

The basic reason why Harry doesn't like his parents is plain and simple. They pay little attention to him. He gets what he wants, yes, but only when he asks. His parents take great interest in his brother's life and don't give him as much love or attention (mostly James). They also are uneasy around Harry because he is in Slytherin. They are worried that he may turn on them at any moment and kill his brother (worst case scenario).

Lily is also afraid of her past on a level. She is afraid that Harry will become like Snape did and turn to the dark. She doesn't realize that she can stop any inclinations he has to do so, much like shoe could have Snape.

Next, the chamber and Harry's best reptile friend- Isaac. I will be posting a oneshot up soon called "Call of the Snake" and it is a story about how Harry first met Isaac. It takes place around his first year, when he has very few people to turn to. Read it when it comes out, I'll post an A/N about it in a chapter when it does.

After that comes Harry's power. He is NOT in any way a god. He is an amazing duelist and is as powerful as Tom Marvolo Riddle was at his age, if not more powerful. No, he is not a power-hungry maniac who wants to eat babies. He also is not at all evil, but may be slightly dark. If you don't know the difference between dark and evil… I suggest you google it. Google has all the answers!! Anyway, what Harry can do is advanced past NEWT spells. He is a wiz at arithmancy and does NOT want to be an auror. Rather, he wants to create and research spells. What he sold to the vendor was basically basilisk skins and certain other dark stuff he found in the chamber. I will not go into detail about it, figure it out!

Thomas Potter, who will be referred to as Tom in later chapters, did participate in the Tri-wizard tournament. He was selected as the fourth competitor and Harry was annoyed because of that. Ultimately, he shoved his pride aside in favor of love for his brother and passed Thomas hints through a third party source (use your imagination). His brother managed to escape because Harry figured out that Moody was a fake by using Legilimency on him during class one day. That's another ability he has. He cant occlude his mind, but he can use Legilimency as well as Voldemort. When he used it on moody, he was just learning it and was surprised it worked. He saw some memories and by the end pieced together who Moody was and what he was planning to do in time to save his brother from touching the cup. Cedric is alive and Voldemort came back in first year, with the stone. No one stopped him. The cup was just to lure and kill Tom Potter.

Thomas is in no sense dim witted or stupid. I find that annoying. People aren't dumb because people spoil them. Thomas is smart as Ron Weasley was in cannon. Not stupid, but very lazy and ignorant. Ron's character is a bit exaggerated, but I find it more fitting to him. Ron was always a jacked up MF in the books. Thomas is really good at quidditch, and plays chaser for Gryffindor. He has been playing since SECOND year, not first. Harry has played since first.

No one by any means treats Harry like he's evil except Ron. Everyone else acknowledges his potential and his skill. Harry has a good relationship with Madam Pomfrey and is a really good duelist (again, can beat almost anyone save Dumbles and Voldy). His best subjects are arithmancy, Defense, Transfiguration and charms. He knows about Lily and Snape, therefore he has earned the respect and kinship of the professor. Snape is basically like a friend to Harry at this point, but he isn't obvious about it.

Anyway, many other things changed to POA was just a year when Voldemort had another half baked murder plot. Second year, the diary was never released. Fourth year was pretty much the same. Fifth year they did visit the DOM, but Sirius didn't die. Sixth year didn't happen. Dumbledore hs no idea Horcruxes exist and neither does Harry.

If anyone has any more questions, feel free to review.


	9. Quidditch Trials

Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"What do you want?" Draco muttered sleepily without looking up. Harry smirked and twirled his wand over his friend. Water cam crashing down on Draco's head. "WHAT THE HELL?" he yelled before facing his attacker.

"Hello Draco," Harry said smirking. It was obvious he was done brooding and ready to live again.

"Harry, took you a while" Draco said all anger forgotten. "Daphne and Theo were worried you wouldn't be up today" Draco glanced at his clock. "Care to tell me why I'm waking up at four in the morning?"

"Still want to stay on the quidditch team?" Harry asked getting his broom. Draco yelped.

"Tryouts are today? Damn, I'll be on the pitch in ten!" Draco called as he scrambled past Harry and ran towards the bathroom.

Harry smiled. If there was one thing that could lift his spirits, it was flying. Harry slung his broom over his shoulder and made his way to the pitch. Since he hadn't played all summer, he felt the need to warm up before the rest of the hopefuls.

He mounted his broom (a nimbus 2001 courtesy of Lucius Malfoy) and kicked off hard. When in the air, he could think with a clear mind. The rush of wind made him feel alive and powerful. The broom gave him a sense of control and he felt incredible.

The team was in a terrible predicament this year. The entire team save Draco, Harry and Malcolm Higgs had graduated last year. Higgs had decided to quit the team to study for OWLS.

Harry took one last lap before landing in the center of the pitch to greet the tired hopefuls.

"Why in Merlin's name did we have to get up so early?" A third year grumbled, but a look from Harry silenced him. As Harry began to speak, everyone else shut up.

"This is my final year at Hogwarts. Every year since I've been on the team, we have won! I expect no less this year. Tryouts will be grueling, but I can promise you that practice will be intense. If any of you can't handle it, I suggest you leave now. The rest of you, twenty laps round the pitch! BEGIN" and twenty five brooms shot into the air.

"You don't think you're being a bit hard on them?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"They're Slytherins. They have to learn that in order to be the best they have to work hard. This is my final year here Draco, and I want to leave with the trophy in our possession for the seventh time in a row. Only three captains have ever don't that before in the history of Hogwarts" Harry informed his blond friend and he nodded.

"I know what you mean, and I guess I'm behind you, but try not to kill the rest of the team before the season, will you?" Draco joked.

"Yeah, I guess, but I want the absolute best for our team this year" Harry confessed to Draco. "I really don't want to have to catch the snitch in order to secure our victory in points. You're a great chaser, but you need two good teammates. And Crabbe and Goyle are not great beaters. They have brute force, but they're dumber than Weasley" Harry said and Draco laughed. Before he could reply, the eleven hopefuls that were still in the air finished their final lap and landed in front of Harry.

"Alright, I want chasers to the right, keepers to the left and beaters in the bleachers" Harry called and organized his hopefuls. He had three beaters, five chasers and three keepers, which wasn't bad at all.

"Let's start the real tryout now!"

Later that day, Harry arrived in Arithmancy and took his usual seat, when Aliss decided to sit next to him.

"Hi" She greeted and took out her books.

"Hi, I didn't know you were in this class" Harry told her awkwardly.

"Yeah, I'm usually quiet during these classes" She answered curtly.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked her cautiously.

"You could say that" Aliss said not making eye contact.

"Well, whatever I've done, I'm sorry for alright?" Harry told her, his temper getting the better of him. Aliss sighed.

"It would help if you knew what exactly to be sorry for!" She whispered forcefully at him.

"Fine, I'm sorry for walking out on you yesterday!" he cried exasperatedly. Aliss smiled.

"Alright, I'll forgive you if you can answer a few of my questions" Harry smiled and nodded for her to continue. "First, you've been almost yelling, yet no one can here you, why?" She asked curiously.

"A spell I found" Harry answered quickly. Aliss didn't press him for more information.

"Okay, why exactly did that red haired kid yell at you for hanging out with me?"

"Right, well, if you must know, we Slytherin's are the scum of the earth. We lie, cheat, steal and pound babies into the ground. All of us are dark wizards who serve tea to Dark Lords and play golf with eyeballs" Harry answered playfully and Aliss laughed.

"Why the stereotype?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well you need to read the story of the four founders for that" Harry answered her. "So, you play quidditch?" He asked attempting to steer the conversation away.

"No, I'm horrible on a broom. I like to fly, but can't do it for my life" She said wistfully. "Isn't your first game next Saturday?" She asked.

"No, it's on the thirty first" He answered.

"Next Saturday is the thirty first" She informed him and he paled. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I just finished tryouts today! Our team is never going to be ready by then! Damn it!" he cursed. She just laughed.

"Calm down Harry; what's the big deal anyway?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This is a big deal for me! This is the first year I'm captain and I can't lose the cup! Snape will have my head if I do!" He groaned and put his head down on the table, hard.

Aliss laughed as he rubbed his head. "You're captain of the team?" She asked.

Harry, still rubbing his head muttered "That's what I said right?" snippily.

"No need to be snippy y'know" Aliss said putting her hands up in surrender. "Hey, I've noticed that you never take notes or anything in class. How do you ever pass?" She asked him in wonder.

"Who says I pass?" he asked her and then added "you watch me often do you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. And if you didn't pass, how did you get past the OWL?"

"Got me there have you?"

"Yeah, I do, so what's your secret?" She asked again.

"Arithmancy isn't hard once you know the basics. It's all logic and as a Slytherin, I'm the master of logic" He bragged. She groaned.

"You know, when you said that, I think your head actually bloated up a bit"

"Did it?" he asked indifferently.

"I think so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take a few notes" she told him and began to write.

"Well, I'm going to sleep a bit"

"Good night then" She said as she furiously began to scribble down notes.

"Harry, I forgot to tell you about dinner yesterday" Draco said as Harry worked on the potion for the day. Usually when a harder potion cam, Harry always took over the entire process and made Draco watch. This was one of those days.

"Anything interesting happen?" He asked not taking his eyes off the potion.

"Yeah, something interesting was announced" Draco informed his friend.

"Well, hurry up and spit it out already" Harry pressed still working on the potion.

"Well, Dumbledore announced that in honor of out new exchange student, we're going to have an inter house competition in which one member from each of the four houses competes for a cup. Seventh and sixth years are both allowed entrance" Draco said excitedly.

Harry looked up, interested. "So, how are the representatives for each house selected?" he asked.

"Well, you give your name to your head of house and then a small preliminary test is given to the applicants. All applicants are to be chosen by January and the competition will begin then" Draco recited perfectly.

"What, have you been reading the flyer or something?" Harry asked jokingly. Draco looked apprehensive.

"Yes" He answered hesitantly. Harry burst out laughing.

"So, who makes the preliminary test?" Harry asked once his laugher subsided.

"For us, Snape" Draco answered with an evil smirk.

"Oh crap" Harry cursed downcast. This competition was going to be hell.

"Evans, watch your language!" Snape called, pulling Harry out of his reverie. Harry just smiled back at the professor and nodded.

"Harry, where's Draco?" Daphne asked as she and Theo sat down on the couch in the Head dorm across from Harry. Harry, who was sitting with his eyes closed, opened an eye.

"I don't know. He said he was going to go do something" Harry answered.

"That's odd, didn't you ask him what?" Theo wondered.

"Nope, it's really his business what he does in his spare time" Harry answered.

"Well anyway, can we make sure this room is secure?" Theo asked carefully.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is, why?" Harry asked, now fully awake and paying careful attention.

"We've been your friends for six years now right?" Daphne asked and Harry nodded wondering where this was going.

"Well you caught us together this year, and somehow word got out to father" Nott said, spitting out the last word. "He forbade me to see Daphne"

"I take it you don't like that. But when did you two get so serious?" Harry asked. "You've only been together for a few weeks right?" The pair looked at each other nervously and then looked down.

"Actually, we've been together for about a year and a half now. We've just been subtle about it since then" Daphne answered, twiddling her thumbs. Harry broke in to a smile.

"That's great for you two"

"So, Harry, there's more to what I told you" Theo continued.

"Go on" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you see father is a very prominent Death Eater and he wants me to join as well. I think he believes he will be rewarded for recruiting me" Theo finished looking down.

"So you want me to hide both of you?" Harry asked and both of them nodded. "Why does everyone come to me with this kind of thing?" He muttered to himself.

"Alright, Theo, I have a much better idea. I'll tell you two exactly what it is when I work out the kinks of the plan" Harry told them while his mind worked a mile a minute.

"That quickly? Wow Harry, you _are _a genius!" Daphne exclaimed hugging Harry tightly. "Thank you so much" She whispered into his ear and he smiled.

"No problem" Harry whispered back, and he meant it. Nothing would get to his friends if he had anything to do with it. He turned back to Theo.

"Are you the only Slytherin who doesn't wish to join _him?_" Harry asked and Theo shook his head.

"No, I believe that certain others also want to avoid it, but most are younger than us and have nothing to fear yet" Theo answered and then adopted a thoughtful expression. "I believe that Bullstrode, Zabini and the twin idiots are ready to join the Dark Lord as of now"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You did your homework didn't you?" He asked Theo who nodded. "Very well, something will be done" Harry promised and Theo nodded.

**A/N: Yeah, a long chapter because I felt compelled to give at least one chapter over 2000 words. Usually (in most other stories) I liked to type a mean of 6000, but this way, chapters get done faster and I feel less restricted. I'm really not sure **_**why **_**I told you that…**

**Onwards to Cian- my first reviewer of chapter 7. Congratulations! You win a new car!! Or not… no, you win something much better- a response to your review. I don't know if I'm going to put Aliss and Harry together yet. I might just seem like I will, but then decided not to. I'm very sadistic today (had fun beating the crap out my friend with a titanium ipod mini today, you should all try it out sometime!) Also, James and Lily will appear later on, but this fic is more Harry and his generation. Hope that helps. **

**From now on, I might just start adding random funny/stupid rants in my A/Ns. If anyone finds that a good idea, tell me! If you don't like it, well what can I say? SCREW YOU! I'm just kidding with you guys. Anyway, I was in math class today (with my like 99 year old math teacher) and I found a word to describe her- saggy. Everything around her sags for some reason. Her arms and face all like have excess skin hanging off them. Disgusting! And ontop of that, she has this feel young thing. She wears like bell bottom jeans and tank tops and sometimes even V-neck sweaters. I mean it's totally disgusting! And we have to pay attention to her or fail the damned class! I'm still thinking about the lesser of two evils…**

**I should buy a shotgun… (That wasn't supposed to appear here! Damn…)**


	10. The Quidditch match

Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"And here come the Slytherin players. I've always wondered what their uniforms are made out of" Luna Lovegood announced as the Slytherin team flew onto the pitch.

Harry went to meet Thomas at the center of the pitch, where both captains promptly shook hands. Thomas played chaser on the Gryffindor team, while Ginny Weasley was seeker. **(A/N: For all intents and purposes, Ron will be a beater in my story)**

"And there goes that red ball. I never quite could remember its name, but it looks to be made by dwarf hands. Who knows, maybe we stole quidditch from the dwarves?" Luna commentated.

"Oh, there goes Malfoy with the dwarf ball and he's flying" Luna said in her usual dreamlike state. "He's going to throw it, but there's a black ball headed towards him. I do hope he watches out for it" Luna continued and Malfoy swerved a little too late. The bludger grazed his arm and the quaffle slipped out of his hands.

"Draco, you alright there?" Harry yelled up at his friend, who was cradling his arm gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine mate, you worry about the snitch!" he called back.

And Harry did. Soon however, without Malfoy, the offense of the team fell considerably as well as the defense. The Slytherin Beaters, Montague and Vick, were getting frustrated and slamming the bludgers as hard as they could.

Harry smacked his forehead. "TIME OUT!" Hooch yelled as she saw Harry's signal.

The team gathered.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you guys? The score is 40-120 in their favor. I want to see you step up your bloody game. Khan, what the hell is wrong with you? You're a keeper, not an acrobatic artist. Stop flailing like an idiot and move only to block the ball. Throwing out your limbs does not increase your chances of blocking the ball. Montague, Vick, I want to see you aiming those shots, not beaming balls at people. You nearly hit me on a few shots. Brigg, Greene, you two are supposed to score, not stand around. Malfoy is the only chaser who scored so far. Since he just took a hit, we need you two to play together. He should not have to hold you two up. Understood?" Harry asked and all five of them nodded. "Good"

The five players left, a newfound determination (or fear) instilled in each of them.

"Draco, here, let me try to fix your arm" Harry offered and Draco gave it to him without hesitation. "_Mitigus!" _Harry yelled and to his surprise, the parselspell worked. "How does it feel?" Harry asked curious to see how well it worked. Draco flexed his arm a few times.

"Wow, feels brand new. That's a useful spell" Draco mused before remounting his broom.

"And the teams are back in the air. Malfoy's arm seems better now. I wonder if the kartles healed it for him. They like to hand around blood and heal those kinds of wounds" Luna ranted and Harry laughed. She was either a seer or a lunatic.

Soon, Slytherin began their comeback. Five minutes later, Harry saw the golden snitch fluttering near Ginny. The score was 70-130. Slytherin would win if he caught it now, but would it be worth it? He decided to do what he could for now. He began to dive straight down in pursuit of a golden object. It worked.

The Weasley followed him into the dive and soon they were neck and neck. He had to hand it to her, even with a sub par broom, she was still quite good. If it was a fair fly to the snitch, she may have had a chance, but this was all about tactics- a slytherin's forte.

"Oh, and green scores again. I don't understand what Malfoy is doing at the moment, but it seems he is searching for something, perhaps the kartle that healed his leg? Do remember to thank him" Luna announced and the stadium roared with laughter.

Since Harry had started playing tag with Weasley, the score had indeed changed to 100-120. It was time to call in the finish. Harry swerved up from the dive at the same time as Ginny. She however didn't have the same broom as he did, and began to bump into the ground. She had no choice but to stop and dismount lest she flip over.

Harry took this chance to re-obtain the quaffle, which was being held by Thomas. He plowed into the chaser formation, surprising them all. This was all Draco needed to slip under Thomas and catch the quaffle he dropped in surprise. Giving Harry a quick nod, Draco sped back to the goalposts as Harry darted off to grab the snitch.

While Ginny was grounded for the time, Ron wasn't. He began firing at Harry, waving his beater bat frantically. "Damn Weasley!" Harry cursed as he avoided bludger after bludger. "Where the hell are my beaters?" Harry swore under his breath.

"Watch out!" Draco yelled at Harry, who realized just in time there was a bludger behind him. He pulled off a barrel roll at the last second, saving him. The bludger grazed his ear, opening a gash which began bleeding profusely.

"Damn my luck" Harry cursed as he reached for the snitch. All play had stopped, the quaffle forgotten as Harry reached for the elusive snitch. It spun around, once again avoiding his hand. "Bloody snitch COME HERE!" he whispered forcefully. What happened next surprised him. The snitch seemed to slow down enough for Harry to reach out and grab it. The crowd cheered.

"SLYTHERIN! SLYTHERIN!" Came the chants from the green part of the audience. He looked down to see Aliss smiling as well. He smiled back and took a final victory lap, holding up the golden snitch, covered with specs of blood, for all to see. As he landed near the team, he saw Daphne and Theo run up to him.

"Harry great game mate!" Theo said clapping him on the back. "Won by one hundred and sixty points!" He bragged. Daphne gasped.

"Harry, your ear, it's peeling off!" She shrieked. "You're going to the hospital wing, NOW" She yelled and began to drag him off. He glared at her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Daph, I want to celebrate with my team. I worked for this, and I want to be there for the fruits of my labor!" he half growled.

"Do you want to die?" she asked rhetorically. And he shook his head in defeat.

"Fine, take me to my cell" He joked and she did.

**A/N: Okay, first off, I would like to thank ALL my reviewers. I love reviews, they're my cocaine (ripped that off Family guy, great show). To show them my respect, I've decided to take the time to respond to each one of them to date (4/12/08) last chapter only**

**First:**

**Mumihp: Well, since there was no diary in Harry's second year, the chamber was never discovered. According to cannon, the first clue that Voldemort had a Horcrux was the diary Harry destroyed. No diary no proof.**

**Sweetgirl23: Their relationship is really on tolerance at this point. I know that means very little, but I have a few flashbacks that I'll show in later chapters that explains how their relationship grew to this point. It'll clear things up a bit. **

**GrlWithoutAName: Snape calls Harry Evans, symbolically. Practically, it's because with two people of the same last name, it's hard to differentiate. Potter and Potter? For literary reasons, he calls him Evans because of his parentage. He agrees that Harry is NOT a potter in spirit and is different from his father. Snape sees Harry as his mother's son over his father's. Speaking of which, I really think Snape hated James, not because James made fun of him, but because he kept Lily's attention and showed an interest in Lily. My take on that; hope that answers that. Oh, and no definitely NOT H/G or H/Hr. I can't stand the latter one (almost like incest) and the first one is overrated. AU means pairings should CHANGE! It will however eventually most likely unless I get hit by a wave of untimely epiphanatic genius (like coming up with the word epiphanatic) be Draco/Hermione. NOT UNDER ANY circumstances will it be any kind of slash. Sorry again to slash lovers. Okay, so pairings for Harry could be as follows: **

**Susan Bones**

**Tracey Davis**

**Milicent Bullstrode**

**Pansy Parkinson (not likely eww)**

**Padma Patil **

**Aliss (last name omitted)**

**Although I'm 99 sure on which it is, you can all go to my profile and answer the poll on which one you think/want it to be. Oh, and I was wondering who to pair Thomas with as well. Ginny seems likely for that, although Aliss could fit there too. Hmm… do I feel sadistic and mooching off the Snape plot (ex. Boy likes girl, girl like another boy and Boy loses girl to other boy and neglects hygiene forever and cuts himself in a dark damp dungeon). It depends on my mood. **

**Anyone else waiting for the US open? I can't wait toll Nadal and Federer play again. Always a pleasure to watch. The MSG exhibition was terrible. Sampras has no game now and Federer was patronizing him like crazy. Terrible game, Federer didn't play for real at all which cause the game to suck. **

**If you guys are bored and need stories to read, I made a community called "My HP favoites desiking75" in which all my favorite stories are in. I made it mostly to keep track off the stories I like to watch, but feel free to check it out and subscribe. Anyway, I'm back to listening to music and finishing all my work for the day. G'night FFN. **


	11. An O of consequence

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"91 bottles of beer on the wall" Harry sang. It was his sixth day of incarceration in the hospital wing and he was delirious with boredom. Just then, Madam Pomfrey bustled out of her office to check on her patients. Harry reached out to her like a zombie and began to chant. "Let me out now! I'll go mad! I swear I'll go mad!"

She however turned away amused by his antics. "Hush child, you'll be fine. I swear, that hit to the head must be worse than I thought. Maybe you'll have to stay here a bit longer for your mental health" She joked and Harry snapped out of it.

"Not a chance! I'm fine see?" he asked her. "All healed, no more bloody and a fully functional ear"

"I'll judge that young man. I swear, you're always coming to this damned hospital wing for some reason or the other. Always keeping me on my toes" The mediwitch muttered playfully.

"Who else will?" Harry asked and she laughed.

"Alright, you're fine now. Now off you go" She said and Harry nearly jumped off the bed. She chuckled. "Now, stay out of here for a few months, y'hear?" She asked, but he just kept dashing away.

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"Freedom at last!" He yelled as he reached arithmancy. He plopped down in his usual place next to Aliss. Both of them had developed a friendship over the last few days.

"So, finally out of the white dungeon?" Aliss asked, using a term coined by Harry the day before.

"Yeah, clean bill of health" He answered smiling. Professor vector began to speak.

"I have your exams here today" She announced. "I am not at all pleased by the show of knowledge you presented. This is a NEWT class and as such it requires more efforts on all of your parts. I expect much more from all if you next time and afterwards" She announced and everyone groaned. "For all those who didn't pass, three feet on the equations of ten charms, ten hexes, ten curses and two elemental spells" She added and almost every student cursed.

"What are the stats professor?" Terry boot asked.

"Well, seven T's, twelve D's, one A and… one O" She told him and everyone groaned again.

"Chances of passing are one in twenty" Harry muttered to himself, but Aliss heard him anyway.

"Why? Wouldn't it be two in twenty-one?" She asked him.

"Nope, granger always passes, so one passing grade is hers" Harry informed her.

"So both of us did not pass" She clarified and Harry nodded. "Great, then at least we'll suffer through that damned essay together" She groaned. Vector came over to them and handed back their tests.

"Very good Harry, you did as well as I expected of you" The professor told him and he gave her a charming smile.

"WHAT? You got a bloody 'O?' You sleep through the damn class! How in Merlin's name is this fair? I take notes and I get a bloody D!" Aliss screeched. Harry opened an eye.

"Could you keep it down Al? I'm trying to sleep here" he told her and she nearly screamed in frustration. "You WILL tutor me today and help me pass the next test!" She ordered and he shrugged apathetically.

"I might, if you say please?" She whacked him on the head with her wand. "Ouch! I'm trying to sleep here! It's hard to do with these constant interruptions!"

"Agree to tutor me and I'll let you rest in peace" She offered, grinning madly.

"Fine, anything to get my sleep" He agreed, smiling inwardly.

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"No, no, no! That's not right!" Harry nearly yelled in frustration. "You have to carry that over there and the find the limit of this equation here" He pointed out softly when he saw Aliss almost near tears. He sighed "look, I'm sorry I yelled. I'm a terrible tutor" He admitted. She smiled.

"At least you admit you're terrible at something" She said and he groaned. "Alright, teach me again. I think I have it this time" She said with a new determination.

"Good, give it another shot" He encouraged and smiled when she set back on the paper.

Three hours and sixteen feet of parchment later, Aliss finally figured how to derive the equations of complex spells.

"Finally!" Harry said. "Took you damn near forever to get that last one!" he exclaimed, before adding "I'm proud of you though" She blushed.

"Thanks, and you are a great teacher. You just need more patience and you could easily teach the class" She told him.

"Right then, it's after curfew. You staying here or going back?" Harry asked.

"I'm too tired to venture back. We have to get up in about five hours anyway. Might as well stay here" She answered yawning. He nodded and transfigured an apple into a bed, and a banana into a pillow and comforter.

"I'll sleep here, you can have my room" He told her. Since she was too tired to argue, she complied and slipped over to Harry's chamber. "Good night" he said, but she was asleep already.

**A/N: thanks for all those reviews. Twelve from the last chapter. Made me very very happy. Ok, for all of those who asked for certain pairings, I have chosen one. **

**I really don't know, but I find that Spanish is a harder language than most. I already know three languages, but learning Spanish is impossible. I mean seriously! A composition in Spanish is so damned hard to do for us non Spanish people. **

**Ok, where the f did that come from? One minute I'm talking about reviews, the next Spanish? Damn turrets, they extend to the keyboard too. **

**As I feel its almost three AM, I'm going to STOP typing this AN and get on with sleeping so I can wake up and follow my monotonous schedule that is never broken. Seriously, my life is terribly boring. **

**Moving away from any personal banter, all reviews were appreciated and are welcomed. Thanks to all who reviewed (you know who you are). And good luck with the rest of your lives. **

**Till I type again. **


	12. A dreary Dream

Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Damn mate, you look like hell" Draco exclaimed as he saw Harry walk into potions.

"Yeah, I slept on a transfigured couch. Needless to say, I'm not going to make practice today. You're captain for the day" Harry said handing him the captain's badge. Draco took it and looked at it in awe.

"Wow, never thought I'd be wearing this" He said reverently.

"Careful, you sound like Weasley" Harry warned and they both laughed. It was then that Snape chose to walk in.

"Alright all of you, settle down. Today we will be brewing a sobering drought, one which many of you will need when you fail your NEWTS and end up drunk on the streets" Snape muttered and Harry sighed.

"Optimistic little bugger isn't he?" he whispered to Draco who sniggered.

"Very well, you may begin!" He said and with a wave of his hand, the instructions appeared on the board.

"Draco, you want to make this one? I'm a bit worn out" Harry asked and Draco nodded.

"I'll do it, but please don't expect your usual O" Draco agreed and warned.

"I could care less right now" Harry confessed.

And the lesson dragged on way too slow for Harry's liking. Slowly, but surely, his eyes drooped closed and he fell full asleep, right on a layer of Hippogriff fat.

"_Have you obtained what I was searching for?" A voice that sounded like a snake asked._

"_Master, we are still looking, please allow us some more time" A robed and masked man begged. The man was kissing the snake-like speaker's robes._

"_I will allow you another month, but remember this. I am getting very impatient. If you fail to bring me what I ask for, you may not leave with your life next time" _

"_Thank you master, you are kind. The kindest master in the world" The man said and Harry mentally scoffed. The man was a brown nosing idiot. _

"_Ah, but I cannot let you off the hook this easily can I? I expect my quotas to be followed as I do set them for a reason. You will be punished. Crucio" The man whispered, but the masked math writhed in pain, spasming out of control. The curse was lifted after a period of roughly five minutes, after which the man was breathing heavily, his eyes rolling in his head. _

_It was a disturbing sight. The man seemed almost insane, yet the snake voiced man made no move to assist him, but rather took happiness in the man's pain. "It would do you well not to fail me again" The man said and turned away. _

"Harry mate, wake up!" Draco said frantically shaking Harry. Harry opened his eyes and Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin you're alive! I thought you had died for sure!" Draco said relieved. "I tried everything, but you wouldn't wake. Your eyes were open, but you weren't responding. Looked like a dementor kissed you" Draco ranted.

"Great, you finish the potion?" Harry asked and Draco nodded. Harry continued to think about his odd dream. It was the first time he had a dream that seemed so real. Something was up and he had to find out what.

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"You okay Harry?" Aliss asked him.

"Yeah, fine why?" he responded absentmindedly.

"Well I feel it's kind of odd that you're writing your potions essay in runes" She responded. "You sure something's not up?" She asked again.

"Just a bit tired that's all" Harry responded hoping to end the conversation.

"I'm sure" She replied sarcastically. "Tell me what's wrong Harry, we're friends right?" She pressed. Harry sighed.

"I had a weird dream alright?" Her expression softened.

"That's it? You really don't seem the type to get wrapped up in a dream that much" She mused, but shrugged it off. "You want to talk about it?" She asked and he shook his head. She decided not to press it. "Well, if you're done with that, would you mind helping me with the arithmancy and runes? Oh, and I need help with the transfiguration too"

"Aren't those all the subjects you're taking?" He asked he bemused.

"No, I'm taking Herbology and charms" She said defensively. "Oh, I need help in charms too" she added as an afterthought and Harry sighed.

"Then, let's start here. Now, what do you know about Aztec runes?"

**A/N: I know it's short, but I'm extremely tired today. I'll give you a few more chapters asap, since I've been getting very busy with the realm outside my computer (yeah, I was shocked it existed too). I have 2 SAT IIs to take, one ACT, one SAT and another random three letter test. God I hate the college process. If an admissions rep to cornell is reading this, please accept me!! LOL, no seriously, accept me now!! Or I'll kill myself… or you, whichever is most convenient. O well, on a brighter note what did you think of the chapter? Like it? Hate it? Want a taco? Well tell me! Review! NOW! Just move your mouse slightly downward come on… almost there, and click that great blue box that'll make my day! Get me high on reviews! LOL!**

**Also, if any of you actually enjoy the story, I have a poll in my profile for all to take on what people want to happen first. I have all these plots in my head, and I really can reorder the story to fit my needs (or yours). So go ahead on the profile page and vote for what you want to see happen in the story, whether it be Aliss and Harry's relationship build up or Voldemort spewing random nonsense out of his mouth. Tell me via poll and if you have the time, take a detour and review as well. Reviews make me very very happy, so don't hesitate. **

**One more time, I have a community full of my favorite fics, called MY HP favorites desiking75. Visit if you're bored and subscribe if you feel like it. It's full of fics that I enjoy and very selective on what gets in or not. Mostly AU stuff, cuz that's what I enjoy. **

**On a happier note, I just killed the Geico Gecko! You can all thank me later…**

**Oh, and if anyone is from the US, who do you think will win the democratic primary, Obama or Clinton. The debate rages on today!! **

**All things aside, anyone have any tips on making a 3.3 average stand out? I really need serious help!! My GPA from fresh and Soph years was an 86 and my junior average was a 92. If I get my secod junior grade up to like a 95-96, will it look appealing to an ivy? Help me make up for past mistakes!! **

**Anyone who helps me with my problem will be eternally thanked by me. If I get into cornell, Georgetown, brown, Upenn, oxford, Columbia or uchicago, because of anyone form this site, you will have my eternal gratitude and an imaginary hug. I will give you honorary mention in my stories too. **

**I know its not much, but I have nothing else. Do it out of the kindness of your heart. Karma is a strong thing and you never know how things will turn out. Maybe if you help me, something good may happen to you…**

**Farewell to all and to all a good night….**


	13. Head girls and horrible news

Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"I can't believe your forgot the potions essay!" Draco groaned. He had been paired with Harry to write a five foot essay on the properties of tree knots in potions. It had taken the pair of them over eight hours to complete and now Harry had left it in the dorm.

"Relax, I'll just summon it like so" Harry said and waved his wand. Nothing happened.

"Do you not know anything?" Draco screamed. "All the dorms have anti theft wards on them! You can't summon anything from a dorm!" Draco began to hyperventilate. "What will we do? We can move… to Mexico! Yeah, and sell tacos there… and lay… bricks" Draco finished lamely when he saw Harry's amused face. "You didn't leave it in the dorm did you?" he asked.

Harry laughed "nope"

"THEN WHY DID YOU TELL ME YOU DID?" Draco exploded.

"Because it's funnier this way" Harry responded as if stating the obvious.

"I'm going to hate you for the rest of the period" Draco informed him and turned to talk to Crabbe and Goyle, who by some miracle had made it into NEWT potions.

"Suit yourself" Harry muttered. After potions, Harry turned to go to the head dorms, but was met by a bushy brown haired girl.

"We have head business to discuss" Hermione informed him haughtily and he sighed. Resigning to his fate, he followed her to the head dorms where they worked on endless, in Harry's opinion, crap.

"Okay, so the next Hogsmeade trip should be in about a week" Hermione told him, putting a marker on the calendar.

"No, that's not right! Slytherin plays Ravenclaw that weekend!" Harry told her frustrated.

"Alright, the week after?" She asked.

"That's fine" Harry agreed and settled back down. "Anything else before my release?" Harry asked none-too-nicely. Hermione glared at him.

"No, you can go, but you should take your head boy duties more seriously!" She admonished, but he had already flown the coup by then. She huffed indignantly.

"Damned bloody Granger" Harry muttered as he made his way to- well anywhere away from her. It wasn't that he hated her, but he just couldn't stand her. She was brilliant, but so very annoying.

Suddenly Draco came up from behind Harry and grabbed his shoulder, turning him roughly.

"Harry, we need to talk" Draco looked left and right before continuing "in a private location. And I need a drink" He added. Harry nodded and looked his friend over. Draco's eyes seemed slightly bloodshot and his face adopted a grave expression. Something was wrong.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade" Harry said and led the way to a secret tunnel. In his time at Hogwarts, Harry had done his best to uncover every secret Hogwarts had to offer. It was a near impossible task for a single generation, but Harry had a head start. One day, he had nicked the marauder's map from the Weasleys and made himself a copy. He had never told a soul about it.

"How are we going to get to Hogsmeade?" Draco asked almost hysterically. It was clear he was in slight shock. "We have transfiguration in ten minutes and there are Herbology classes outside! We'll never get past Sprout!"

"Draco, please doubt less, follow more" Harry said. And Draco obeyed. He knew better than to doubt Harry Potter.

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"So, what happened?" Harry asked sipping his butterbeer. Draco was drinking firewhiskey directly from the bottle. One of them needed to be totally sober.

"He's dead" Draco said, realization dawning on his face. "He's dead" Draco repeated before taking another large gulp of firewhiskey. "Dead" he said yet again before a lone tear fell from his eye.

"Who's dead Draco? Who died?" Harry asked, trying to snap Draco out of his trance.

"He killed him" Draco continued, tears trickling down his face. "Killed him in cold blood" Draco added.

"Who got killed Draco? Who killed him?" Harry pressed, but Draco ignored him.

"Dead, he's dead Harry. I knew he was in deep, but he's dead!" Draco was now sobbing without restraint.

"Who is dead Draco?" Harry asked forcefully, causing Draco to look up.

"The Dark lord Harry, he killed him" Draco said, now totally drunk. "He killed my father"

And then, Draco threw up and fainted, leaving Harry to gape at this new information.

"Well, fuck"

**A/N : Yeah a short chapter I know, but I've been uber busy. So, sorry for the hellishly long update time. For future reference, I will try to update at least once a week, so tell me what days you would like an update during, I'll post a poll in my profile, or you can tell me in a review. Your choice. **

**Now, for the reviews, I would like to address Ranger Dragen and all other people who ask for longer chapters and such. I would make my chapters longer, but by keeping them short, I can update much faster and that keeps readers like you happier. Thanks for all your reviews though (that's for everyone). Also, ranger Dragen, I would like to respond to your PM. **

**You wanted a prequel to this story right? Well here's what's going on with that. I might pull a star wars and write a small prequel after I finish this story, or I might put a full set of flashbacks inside this story (my original idea). SO if anyone has input on that, feel free to respond. **

**Yes, This will be an Aliss/ Harry story, but give it some time. No relationship goes without a hitch. Nothing is ever perfect, and it all takes time. Very few people meet a girl and marry her the next day. It takes time to develop bonds, so be patient. I am going to attempt the every hated/loved Dramione pairing too, so wish me luck on that. **

**To Really Frozen Phoenix, you asked for transitions between scenes, but I really don't understand what you mean by that. If you would like to elaborate, I'll try my best to adjust to your request, because I understand what you're saying, but really don't have many ideas on how you would like it. Elaborate. **

**Now for some thanks. **

**Brwneyedgrl- for all the college advice you gave me, thanks a lot. It really helped. **

**Jaxzwolf- thank you so much! You really gave me heaps of good ideas and helped a lot with college stuff. I read your PM over like six times and it was really helpful. Thank you for your time, it must have taken a while to write all of that. **

**If anyone else has any advice for college admissions, I'm open to any of it. I really need help and would love any amount of input on it. **

**Now for a random rant about random stuff. Imacs are amazing. I bought one last November for only about 1100, which is like 200 less than my dell laptop. It works so well, and meets all my needs. The keyboard is a bit annoying, but I'll get over it. It's HD quality is so much better than my LCD TV and the Mac's screen is 20" which I find awesome. The doc is much better than the windows startbar, and the new expose and spaces is totally amazing. I so enjoy it and recommend it to anyone who needs a new computer. **

**And the Ichat is 300x better than aim. I can ichat with anyone using cool effects and it's so sick. The photobooth is amazing too, first day I got it, I spent like three hours taking pics of myself. So much fun. If you have nothing better to do, the mac is a great way to kill time. And the widgets are so useful its not even funny. Weather, click of keyboard. Built in dictionary, translator, flight tracker, calendar, clock, stcok checker, ESPN scores and so much more useful stuff. I mean screw , just use the mac thing. It's so much easier. And it syncs with my ipod without a hitch. Not to mention the airport (wifi) is amazing in it. It runs as if it was Ethernet connected (and picks up my neighbor's connections : )**

**Anyway, I'll end this so you all can rush to click the review button and happily review. **

**Oh and hope you enjoyed this chapter. **


	14. You win some, You lose some

Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Later that week was the quidditch game, Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw. This was going to be easy, or so Harry thought. Last year, Chang had left Hogwarts, leaving no seeker to take her place. This match was going to be a cinch.

And it was. Harry caught the snitch thirty seconds in and ended the game, 150-0. The second fastest game in Hogwarts history (the first being in 1975 when two half-troll beaters had knocked out the entire opposing team in a matter of twelve seconds).

When Harry got back to the common room, he was treated like a god, but Harry was focused on one thing- Draco. He had not shown up for the game and the team had used a random Slytherin to take his place. Harry found Draco in his dorm room.

"Hey" he said awkwardly.

"Hey" Draco responded sullenly.

"You didn't show up to the game" The 'why' was left unsaid.

"Yeah" Draco answered. Harry moved the curtains aside to find his friend lying in a fetal position on his bed.

"Draco, what's wrong? Ever since he died, you've been like this. You haven't even attended class for a good three days" Harry pressed. "It's not good to keep it bottled up" Harry continued.

"He's right Draco" Daphne's voice came and Harry turned around to find Theo and her behind them. "You should talk about it" Theo nodded to show that he supported the statement.

"Come on guys, we'll head to the Hog's Head and have a nice chat" Harry suggested

-- --

When the group arrived in Hogsmeade, Harry cast up privacy wards. The group sat in silence before Theo took the initiative to speak up.

"So Harry, why did you bring us way out here?" he asked and Harry shrugged.

"I was in the mood for a game of poker" he responded and conjured up a deck of cards. Theo raised an eyebrow at the answer, but shrugged it off. Harry dealt the first hand.

All three players looked at their cards.

"Voldemort is moving fast" Harry commented nonchalantly "I raise a sickle" He added.

"I'll call the sickle" Daphne said. "You're right, he's moving rather quickly. Soon he'll kill off all his recruits and need new ones"

"I'll fold" Theo grunted throwing down his cards. "So what's your point? Stop talking in riddles Harry"

"I'll exchange three" Harry said avoiding the question.

"I'll exchange one" Daphne countered and both drew their cards.

"We have to get you guys out of the open soon. Can both of you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?" Harry asked. "Raise three sickles"

"I'm sure we can, but I don't know if it would be wise" Daphne responded wryly. "I'll call your three and raise you seven more"

"I'll fold" Harry said putting down his hand.

The next hand was dealt.

"Why should we stay over here for the holidays?" Theo asked. "I'll raise three sickles and a knut"

"I'll fold" Daphne said putting her cards down

"The most likely time he'll try to pick up recruits is during then" Harry answered "I'll raise you five sickles"

"I'll call" Both players drew two cards.

"We need to keep you safe for Christmas. You can stay at my place" Harry offered.

"Your parents would never let us" Theo scoffed. "I'll raise you a galleon"

"I meant my own place. I bought a house last week, we can all stay there for a bit. It's quite big" Harry offered. "I'll raise you three galleons"

"I really don't see that as necessary" Theo argued. "I'll raise you five"

"Please, trust me on this" Harry pleaded. "I'll raise you ten" Theo hesitated.

"I'll call" he agreed and showed his hand. "Read it and weep; house, aces on fives" he announced with a smirk. Harry responded by laying his hand on the table silently.

"Four of a kind, twos" Theo gasped and Harry smirked. "I win"

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**Two weeks later… (The Halloween Feast)**

"Hey Theo, Daphne; you guys headed to the feast?" Harry asked, catching up with them

"Yeah, we were planning to, why?" Theo asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was just wondering. You guys haven't been to dinner for almost a week" Harry reminded them and both had the decency to blush.

"Shut up" Daphne muttered smacking him on the arm playfully. "Let's go, or we'll be late"

"Draco still moping about?" Theo asked Harry as they walked to the feast.

"Yeah, most likely. I didn't check on him" Harry answered and thought. It had been a while, but Draco had not snapped out of shock yet. It was fairly odd.

The three of them took their usual seats and waited for the food to appear. They weren't disappointed. Mounds of candy, fruits, deserts and delicious meat appeared before them.

Theo rubbed his hands together before grabbing a plate.

"This looks better than usual" He commented between spoons of pudding.

"Theo, darling, it is customary in most places to eat the main course before the desserts" Daphne joked and Theo grunted noncommittally. Harry laughed as Daphne huffed in mock annoyance and Theo kissed her forehead to appease her, getting a dab of chocolate pudding on it.

"This food is great though" Harry agreed as he too began to overdose on treacle tart.

"Hey Harry, isn't that the chick you hang out with these days?" Theo asked, pointing to Aliss. Harry looked and nodded.

"Yeah, that's her; why?" He asked.

"Well take a closer look" Theo advised and Harry squinted.

With a look of horror in his eyes, he saw Aliss kissing Thomas at the Gryffindor table. He felt his heart twist as he nearly jumped from the table and made a mad dash toward the Slytherin dorms.

**A/N: Yeah, I know, before you burn me with your flames, this will still be an Aliss/Harry fic, but as every healthy relationship should, is experiencing some road blocks. **

**Now, I know the Poker game was God awful, but please, after watching 21, it was an inspired moment. A spur of the moment crappy inspiration if you will…**

**Anyways, I'm going to give Cornell ED a shot (for all who care) OR, if I reach an epiphany before September, I'll EA UChicago and Georgetown. **

**So, as for the chapter, I know I updated pretty fast, but you guys stopped reviewing after a while. I wonder if I should be a (insert curse of choice here) and make a review limit before my next posting. **

**Yeah, let's try that. My next post will be after I get 16 reviews for this chapter. **

**Moving past that, to more pleasant things, yeah, my chapters are short, but what did everyone think of the plot twist? It seemed a good idea at the time and it made the story much more interesting. **

**THERE IS A POLL IN MY PROFILE!! Check it out and tell me what day would be most convenient for my updates. You have 8 choices, check them out and vote. The poll will be removed on 4/30/2008, so vote now and post your preference. **

**Anyway, my rants, love em hate em? I could care less (here I'm joking with you, come back!!) Anyway, I have a wonderful week off from hell… I mean high school. This gives me ample time to review, but I have to study for and ACT exam and 2 SAT II's. One of them is Math 1c which I could ace in my sleep, so no worries there. Chem, I'm not too sure about. Damned America, college admissions suck! **

**I'm not planning on sleeping anyway, so might as well write some of this story while I'm up. Just finished my eight cup of coffee tonight. Damn my life. I' way too lazy to get up and make another one… Anyone who pities me, mail me one? I prefer Columbian, so anyone from Columbia reading, plz mail me a cup. Put it in a Thermos plz and seal it with duct tape. INSERT NO COCAINE!! I'm just kidding, don't go rushing to mail me a cup, I'm not that desperate… I'll just wake up my parents who'll gladly make me a cup… or beat me to death, not sure which…**

**Oh well, I had a good life, right? Hmm… well I could have had more stuff, and I could have been accepted into a college I want to go to, but other than that I've had a good life right? **

**Anyone here play brawl? I love the game, it's so much fun! I played with this blue guy named Lucario (who my little cousin just told me is a pokemon) and he's awesome. I really can't recognize a single pokemon from my childhood. I played my cousin's new game diamond or something, and the only name I recognized was squirtle… they butchered pokemon into this weird game! Why don't they end it? I mean the main character has got to be like (10 + 8)… 18 right? Why doesn't an 18 year old GO TO COLLEGE? Or get a job? How the hell does he pay for stuff? **

**Back to the issue at hand. Brawl is so much fun. Lucario and Ganondorf are awesome!! The two best in the game no doubt. **

**Anyone who wants to play online, I'm not very good, but I'll put my friend code up next time. Add me and give me your code if you don't lag. My mains are:**

**Lucario**

**Ganondorf**

**Pit**

**Kirby**

**Trainer **

**Toon Link**

**Wolf**

**That's another thing. Toon Link? WTF?? That sound so dumb! Why couldn't they just call him something else? Like young link?? And toon link was such a disappointment! I was so hoping fro my dream character to be unveiled! Behold !! Old link! Lol. JK. But for all who played twilight princess, weren't you hoping that the skull warrior dude would make the cut? I mean he was so awesome in the game! That would've been so cool, but no… they put in toon link. Did anyone know that word doesn't consider "toon" an actual word? That's funny. **

**Back to the game. Does anyone know where "dragoon" comes from? Because I can't figure it out. Smashes in the game are awesome. The best final smashes (killwise) are (in no particular order)**

**Marth, Ike, CF, Pit, Luigi (drug dealer LOL), Wolf/Falco/fox, Sonic, Ganondorf, Zelda/Shiek,**

**Did I miss anyone? **

**Luigi has the funniest smash hands down. He basically deals shrooms to anyone in his drug circle, effectively getting them high. Then you can go and just beat everyone down one by one. It's so much fun. I really can't see a reason for putting king dedede in the game. I mean he's a fat penguin… Not ideal for fighting. He's got a big hammer, but really what's his selling point?? Metanight was a complete failure (I spelled his name wrong on purpose) and the only newcomers worth much were Lucario, Pit, Trainer and Wolf. The others weren't that great. Snake wasn't really all he was cracked up to be and Ike, he's too slow. I hate slow characters who have nothing to compensate with. Ganon compensates with a beatdown up B and just power in general. Lucario is weak, but gets stronger as he gets hurt, which is pretty sick. They should give side abilities like Lucario's to all the characters to increase variables in the match. Most matches is Smash Melee, if you played no items fight on final destination, character advantage played a huge role. In brawl, not so much… It's more how you use a character. **

**Yep, only two games worth playing long term on the market, Halo three and SSBB (that's brawl for all those who don't know)**

**Halo I have to say improved. The ending was incredible! If you beat it on legendary, it was a great ending! I'm not spoiling it for all you who haven't yet… **

**The graphics were incredible. First time I played, I nearly died in campaign, because I watched the water moving as if the wind was blowing it. I threw a grenade in and watched ripples form! It was cool. Then in the snow, you can make footprints! That was so much fun.**

**The weapons in Halo 3 screwed me over. The needler does DAMAGE! Gotta love the mauler, amazing gun. You just shoot and punch for a kill. Lockout was the best map in the multiplayer game. **

**OMG one thing to LOVE about halo 3 is the sword. IT DOSNT KILL ANYMORE!! Before, 10 feet away, a sword slash was a 1 hit KO, now, it has to be close range, and there's sword canceling! That means that if we both use a sword on each other, they collide and stun both of us!! Such a useful feature. Damn, I should wrap this up… Well good night everyone!! **


	15. Confrontations

Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The next few days passed by in a wave of blurriness. Harry trudged on with his day to day affairs with nonchalance. He should have figured it out before. Aliss had become more and more distant day by day. She spent less time with him that she used to. All this time he had simply assumed that she had made new friends. But did it have to be Thomas? Out of every male in the castle, Thomas? She hadn't seemed the shallow type before.

He did his best to avoid Aliss and occupied himself with other things.

Arithmancy had become a bore as well. Harry had taken to warding himself with his own charms that prevented anything but sound from reaching him. This way, he could avoid Aliss as much as possible. And to top all that off, none of his friends were available.

Draco was still in some form of depression and Daphne and Theo were still all lovey dovey. That left him in a really crappy position. Because of this, most of his free time was spent in the chamber with Isaac.

**Flashback**

"_I can't believe that she would do that to me!" Harry ranted to the patient snake. "I mean, I befriended her and helped her out. I thought we were friends on some level!" _

_Isaac chuckled. "You have a crush on the girl do you not?" Harry turned crimson. _

"_No, I would never! She's a foolish Gryffindor and nothing else. If she would rather spend her time eating my brother's face than talking with me, then so be it! I couldn't care less!" Harry all but snarled. _

"_Words so easy" Isaac reminded him and dropped the subject. "So have you decided when we shall mobilize?" Harry brightened._

"_Yes, I have bought a beautiful muggle manor on the outskirts of London" Harry began. "But I have a favor to ask you" _

"_Ask away then"_

"_I need a secret keeper for the manor" Harry began and Isaac cut him off._

"_You want me to help you decide who should do it?" the snake asked. _

"_NO! I want you to be my secret keeper!" Harry almost yelled in frustration. _

"_Really?" Isaac asked, touched. "Your secret keeper is someone you should trust explicitly and be able to count on without hesitation" Isaac reminded Harry. _

"_Yes, and that is why I want you to be my secret keeper" Harry persisted and the snake was rendered speechless. _

"_Thank you Harry" He said with so much emotion, it made Harry smile. _

"_You're welcome old friend" _

**End Flashback**

But that was three days ago, and today was a day Harry had been looking forward to all month- the Hogsmeade weekend for the month.

He decided to wisely spend his day buying new supplies in Scrivenshaft's and get the new potion ingredients he needed. He decided to apparate to Flourish and Blotts to get the reference book for advanced arithmancy and charms as well. After all, he had nothing better to do with his time now.

After gathering all he needed, he decided to head back to school and use his time to finish his work. As he walked back to the castle, he began to think about his week. The only conversation he had with Aliss popped into his head.

"_Harry! You've been avoiding me!" She accused, sitting down across the table from him. _

"_And if I have?" He asked raising an eyebrow. She sighed in annoyance. _

"_Why have you been avoiding me?" She pressed and he shrugged._

"_You hang out with Weasley, Thomas and Granger now!" He exclaimed, as if that answered everything. "And besides, you've been skirting around me too" he reminded her. She shifted uncomfortably. "Weasley told you to do that didn't he? I thought our friendship meant more than that" He commented, regaining his composure. She looked at her feet. "Must you obey everything those jackasses tell you?" This set her off. _

"_You shouldn't be so quick to judge! Ron, Thomas and Hermione are great people! They're nice and quite intelligent" She argued passionately. _

"_Weasley is about as intelligent as Crabbe with a brain tumor. The only reason he passes is because he sleeps with bookworm granger. Thomas is an ignorant fool who has an over-inflated head on his shoulders. He's a lying son of a-" He was cut off by Aliss._

"_HOW DARE YOU JUDGE MY FRIENDS SO QUICKLY! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT RON OR HERMIONE! AND ALL YOU SEE THOMAS AS IS THE BOY WHO LIVED! HAVE YOU EVER EVEN TALKED TO HIM CIVILLY FOR FIVE MINUTES?" she screamed at him._

"_I can promise you that I know the three of them better than you can imagine" He hissed at her, narrowing his eyes. For a second, he saw fear in her eyes._

As he neared the campus, he saw a small gathering of students crowding around in a circle. Curiosity peaked, Harry ran to investigate. As he broke through the circle, he saw a horrific sight.

Draco was hanging upside down bleeding from various parts of his body, mud and blood smeared in his hair and on his face. And doing the damage as of course Ron Weasley and Thomas Potter.

"Had enough Death Eater spawn?" Weasley sneered.

"Yeah, who're you going to run to now? Daddy's dead and rightfully so. What's wrong? Having second thoughts about your career path?" Thomas sneered. Harry's blood boiled.

'Reducto' Harry thought in his head, his wand pointed at the ground between Thomas and Weasley. The ground exploded, causing both to lose their balance.

Weasley scrambled up, giving Harry a death glare. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be somewhere wearing a white mask?" Weasley asked.

Harry calmly answered. "And shouldn't you be on the ground begging for spare change? Here, I can spare a knut" He said flinging a knut at the redhead's forehead. He fumed.

"Harry, that's not right. At least Ron has morals" Thomas half insulted, half pleaded.

"Shut up! Now, it's a fair fight. Two on two; you still up for it?" Harry asked menacingly. He could have sworn Weasley wet himself.

"We won't demean ourselves by stooping to your level" Ron answered feebly as he backed away. Harry however had only rage for the redhead.

"Diffindo" he said evenly, his wand leveled. The curse shot out so fast, it hit its target before anyone realized it was cast. Weasley yelped in pain, clutching his leg which was now bleeding like mad. Thomas, being the Gryffindor he was, jumped to his friends defense.

"Harry, stop that! You're being unreasonable" Thomas offered sounding much like Percy Weasley. Harry would have broken out laughing had he not been so angry.

"And what you did to Draco was reasonable? Why would you do that to anyone at all?" Harry nearly yelled, causing Thomas' knees to buckle slightly.

"We only gave him what he deserved" Thomas retorted halfheartedly. Harry narrowed his eyes and whispered

"Then allow me to return the favor"

The words were barely audible, but everyone heard them loud and clear.

**A/N: Okay, I got a few reviews that stated that the last chapter was kinda out of the blue. **

**Think about it, she spend a few hours a day at best with Harry. She had the entire day to do other stuff and she was in Gryffindor. **

**If someone was to say, ask her out… she would probably accept it wouldn't she? Oh, and I would like to correct a misconception:**

**While Harry and Thomas are identical twins and have the same eyes, height and hair, Harry has done his best to stay different. They groomed themselves differently and therefore look far from identical. They would look more like distant relations. If anyone wants a more accurate depiction of them here it is:**

**Thomas: Short brown hair, friendly, unoccluded green eyes, friendly face. **

**Harry: Longer hair, covers his eyes which are green, but with almost an ethereal glow to them. His features are usually molded into an unreadable mask and his mind is not occluded, but he can defend it (more on that later). **

**As for animagus, I already know Harry's form, and yes, I have a magical and nonmagical for in mind as well. Does everyone want Harry to become an animagus? I wasn't sure whether or not to do it, because it really doesn't change the story much (it will in a slight way, but it won't change the plot at all). **

**Ideas? Suggestions? A coupon for Dunkin doughnuts? All are welcome in review form… does DD accept virtual coupons? I don't know… I'll check that with them later. Oh well, onward with this AN. **

**I know my AN from yesterday was kind of extra long, but I was bored and had to end the chapter there. It was originally twice as long, but I really wanted to leave it there, so I just hit delete on half the chapter. Sorry bout that.**

**Anyway, so excited! Lost is finally on again tomorrow!! Anyone else watch it? It's a really great show, but extremely confusing. Speaking of great shows, no Eli Stone this week! That stinks, it was the best show on air these days, and the season finale was disappointing to say the least. Does anyone else actually watch it? Cuz none of my friends do. Oh well, their loss. It just better not be canceled or else… I'll write a petition?? Not that it would do much.**

**Alright I'll wrap this up since you all hate my A/N's so much. **

**If I can get 20 reviews for this chapter, I'll update as soon as I get them, otherwise Sunday/ Monday. I got 16 reviews for the last chapter, therefore you get this update today. **

**I officially have the first 19 chapters done, and this once is 14, so I have 5 more typed and ready. The more reviews I get, the faster I update, so its up to you guys.**

**Wait I used a semi-famous quote in this chapter… anyone find it, I'll honor you in my next A/N if you tell me where it's from and who said it (and the quote). **

**Hint: It's from a video game!!**

**Later!**


	16. Closing the Wounds

Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Harry pulled out his wand and began casting spells in a blind rage.

"Rictumsempra, levicorpus, ignatus textus," he began as the two gryffindors began to block a few curses. Only the last one made contact, lighting Thomas' robe on fire. It was promptly put out though. Harry got angrier. Weasley of course, kept digging his own grave.

"Wow, what happened? I thought they taught you better at DE boot camp. You know who settling for anything he can get now?" Weasley taunted. Harry growled and cast a silent transfiguration on Ron. His nose disappeared from his face, leaving a blank spot between his eyes and mouth. He tried to speak. "Why you little!" but it came out very squeaky, like a mouse. Everyone in the area laughed- except Thomas. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"I'm not finished paying you back yet" Harry ground out before moving on to more serious curse. "Sectumsempra! Diffindo! Diffindo!

As they screamed in pain, Harry lectured them. "You should respect the dead, or expect retribution!"

"We don't respect Death Eater scum! We're more than that blond prick could ever be!" Ron yelled stupidly.

"Shut up Weasley, you have no idea what you're talking about!" Harry growled as he continued hexing them.

"Slytherins like you wouldn't understand it, but its true Harry, open your eyes and see that you're surrounded by scum" Thomas said rather timidly. Harry raged.

"If Draco, Daphne and Theo are scum, then I can't imagine what people like you two would be" Harry said menacingly. "I'm done toying around with idiots like you. Incarcerous complecus!" Harry screamed and both boys fell to the ground, covered in ropes. "And for the finishing touch" He said and waved his wand. "Enjoy!"

After finishing off the boy who lived and his friend, Harry walked over to Draco and freed him of his restraints.

"You okay?" He asked as he set Draco down gently. Draco nodded, wincing as his feet touched the ground. He pointed at his cut up legs. "Alright, here, lean on me" Harry offered, holding out his arm to support his friend. "You want to head to hospital wing?" he asked and Draco shook his head. "Alright, room of requirement it is" Harry said and led them to the room. Gently, he set Draco down on a hospital bed which was slightly bent to support his head.

"Alright, now what the hell happened to you?" Harry asked just as a cowl appeared in Draco's hand. Draco threw up a pint of blood and chunks of something into the bowl as Harry watched horrified. "What the hell did those jackasses do to you?" he asked again.

"Made fun of father, said he deserved to die. Set me off" Draco managed to get out through the bile coming from his mouth. "Used some hex. Hung me upside-down. Tied me up using incarceration curse. Weasley punched me a few times in the throat. Potter used weird hexes on me. Cut me up in a few places. One hit me in the mouth" Draco got out before throwing up again. "Can you heal?" he asked desperately.

"I don't know if I should try. The spells I use aren't approved by anyone, so it's a huge risk. Want me to try?" Harry asked and Draco nodded vigorously. "Here goes nothing… _Mitigus" _Harry said closing his eyes. Suddenly, something interesting happened. Harry felt something crawling down his arm and towards his fingers. In alarm, he dropped his wand and opened his eyes. Nothing was there.

"Wow, how did you manage to heal this?" Draco asked flexing his arms, testing for pain. His jaw was fully healed as were his arms. "I've never heard of a healing spell that could heal more than one general area. And how did you create that sphere?" Draco asked raising an eyebrow.

"What sphere?" Harry asked intrigued.

"Right before you ended your spell, a small sphere formed on the tip of your wand. For as long as you held it, it grew and when I opened my eyes, the entire area the sphere touched was healed. It was a brilliant spell" Draco complimented, but Harry had a faraway look in his eyes. Something was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it. Suddenly something came back to him.

"Your legs, how are they?" He asked Draco. Draco shrugged and tried to move his legs. He screamed in pain as Harry laid a hand on his knee.

"They feel even worse now" Draco admitted. "Feels like they're broken" he added and Harry nodded taking mental notes.

"Judging from your description of the spell, I'd assume that the edges of the sphere cause more damage to what they touch, but heal anything inside the sphere. That's interesting" Harry muttered to himself.

"Should I get them healed by Pomfrey?" Draco asked and Harry shook his head.

"No, I don't know the exact effects of the spell. Any altered form of treatment could do worse damage to the body. The most I can do is put a muggle cast on it" Harry offered and Draco sighed.

"If you must" Draco agreed albeit reluctantly. "So, what exactly did you do to those two?" Draco asked as Harry began to wave his wand in an intricate series of gestures.

"Well, I had fun with this, let my imagination run you see. Weasley had his nose misplaced, although I'm sure Thomas found it by now" Harry mused before continuing "I gave Thomas a full cut on his chest and wrote 'traitor' on his back in cuts. Handy spell that one. I wrapped both of them in ropes, giving them room only to breathe and put an allergy charm on them" Harry counted off finishing the cast.

"What are they allergic to?" Draco asked and Harry smirked.

"Each other" And both boys broke out in maniacal laughter.

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**The next day in the head dorms**

Harry was punished severely by McGonagall while Thomas and Weasley were punished by Snape. It was a fair deal according to Harry. Harry would sit out one quidditch match while Thomas and Weasley would clean out Filtch's record rooms for three weeks, four days a week. 'Missing a game wouldn't kill the team because Draco could make sure they didn't lose by too much' Harry thought as he sipped his beverage.

Harry and Draco were enjoying an intelligible conversation with each other over a glass of firewhiskey, when the portrait door opened to reveal Hermione Granger. She was looking towards the ground, scared to make eye contact with either of the boys. She approached them slowly, murmuring something softly.

"What was that granger? I didn't catch it" Harry baited taking a sip of his drink. She looked up slowly and repeated herself.

"I said I wanted to see if Mal- Draco is alright" She said and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he is. I know, I must have ruined your morning, but he's on his way to a full recovery" Harry told her and she turned red.

"No, I didn't mean it like that" She pleaded. "I wanted to make sure … he was okay. What Ron and Thomas did was just totally wrong and Hermione admitted softly. Harry got up from his seat and gestured for Hermione to sit down.

"I'll leave you two alone for this" Harry said, leaving the room so the two could converse. He knew Draco had been waiting for an opportunity like this, and no matter how much he hated the bookworm, he owed it to Draco to be happy.

As he walked out of the head dorm, he bumped into Aliss.

"Hi" She said softly, avoiding his gaze. He fixed her with a stony look. His eyes betrayed no emotions.

"Do you want something?" He asked evenly and she began to shrink back under his gaze.

"I was looking for you" She told him and he looked away.

"That's nice" Harry answered

"I wanted to say I'm sorry" She continued, slowly looking up at him. "That's all" she said and began to walk away from him. As she neared the corner, he whispered

"I forgive you" She smiled as she turned the corner, unshed tears glistening in her eyes

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"So Draco, how'd it go with Granger?" Theo teased

"Now Teddy, be nice" Daphne admonished playfully.

Harry snorted. "Yes Teddy, do be nice to little Drake" he said, unable to restrain himself. "No seriously, how did it go?" Harry asked. Draco began to gaze to the sky dreamily.

"It was… great" he said, barely paying attention. Harry waved his hand over his friend's eyes.

"Draco, Hogwarts to Draco" He said but to no avail. Draco had crossed over into dreamland.

"Harry, you know you're the only one without a love interest at this point" Daphne teased.

"Yeah, Harry," Theo added, "are you gay or something?" he teased as Harry flicked his wand deftly.

All at once, a cloud formed over Theo and began to shock him at random intervals with a tiny lightning bolt. "No you imbecile, I'm not gay. All the girls at Hogwarts are degenerate and pretty much idiots" he commented as Daphne opened her mouth to protest. "Come off it Daph, you know it's true" he said and she shut her mouth, muttering under her breath. Suddenly Draco snapped out of his reverie.

"Drat, I promised I'd meet up with Hermione in five minutes, sorry guys, but I'll catch you later!" he said as he limped off to meet his girlfriend.

"Go figure. How in Merlin's name did they go from mutual hatred to love?" Harry asked, turning to face Theo and Daphne to find they had too left. "And now I'm alone" he muttered as he walked towards the lake. "And how is Draco moving so fast with crutches?" he wondered to himself. "All the mysteries in life" Harry muttered as he looked up toward the sky. The sun shone on him, his body erupting with warmth. Yes, for now, things were looking up.

**A/N: Okay, what do you think? I got a review I would like to begin addressing. It was said that it would be "wrong" to withhold already typed chapters from you guys. While I wholeheartedly agree, would you like to hear my reasoning as to why I do it?  
**

**Okay, so I submit chapter X and get 20 reviews asking me to clarify something or something of the sort. I read the reviews, and go back to chapter X+1 and add/ change stuff in it (also known as editing) and then post it. That way, my chapter comes out a little bit better than it would have. **

**I was very happy with the number of reviews I got on the last chapter, hence, this third chapter in a three day period. You guys really respond to ultimatums! LOL I'm kidding okay? I promise, we'll keep the ultimatums out as long as everyone remembers to hit that review button. **

**Anyway, Lost is on in less that an hour or so I'm hoping it'll be good. I recommend for GrlWithoutAName, skip season 2 and 3 (they weren't that good) and watch the pre-season 4 episode, which sums up what happened. Then watch season 4, cuz that's were it gets really interesting and extremely confusing. **

**On with the show, I told everyone about the old poll, but I've decide to take it down due to irresponsiveness. I've put a new one up on my profile, which I expect people to actually respond to. The question is: what do you think Harry's animagus form will be? **

**I want to see if anyone can guess correctly amongst the 14 choices I'll put up. **

**This chapter is I think my longest so far (which isn't saying too much) so I hope some people are happy about that. Originally the fight scene wasn't included, but I added it today for effect. Anyone who thinks that Harry's punishment was probably unrealistic, think about this: McGonagall's a quidditch addict. She's obsessed with the cup, therefore this is her way of winning the cup for her team. Accept it. **

**I have so much to study for and I really need help, anyone willing to offer it will be thanked. I have to analyze a quote for English, so here it is: **

**"the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who ready to put his life aside, if necessary, to secure one thing - his sense of personal dignity" – Arthur Miller **

**WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??**

**I hope my English teacher rots in hell at some point. **

**So again comments or questions may be directed to me in review or PM form, whichever you prefer. Please include your credit card # shipping address and the name of cardholder along with them (I'm kidding!! No seriously, I am… please don't send me your CC # cuz that's illegal!). **

**Anyway G'night Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, Antarctica…. No not you Australia! LOL jk jk jk jk…. **

**Anyway BB and until next time (let's aim for 50 reviews!)**


	17. The Challenge

Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Three days ago: Flashback**

"_Alright, let us complete the spell" Harry said to Isaac as both braced themselves. "Ignitus fidelius maximus!" Harry yelled as a light enveloped both snake and human. _

"_The charm is finally complete is it not?" Isaac asked his friend. _

"_Yes, it is. We've put it off for so long, it's a relief it's finally complete" Harry sighed in relief. "I still can't believe I got it right" He mused. "Most adult wizards have trouble with this charm"_

"_Harry, you are a very talented and powerful wizard. You could do great things if you set your mind to them. Always have faith in yourself and your abilities because whatever you endeavor to do, you will succeed" The snake said and Harry hugged him. _

"_Thank you Isaac, for your confidence in me" He said. _

"_Of course, anytime young one, anytime" Isaac promised and Harry smiled. "So how are you going to get around the fact that those who don't understand parseltongue may not be able to find the location of the house?" Isaac asked curiously. _

"_Well, see the charm I used was a modified version of the fidelius. Instead of you telling them where the house is, all you have to do is allow them entrance. For example, to let Aliss into the house, all you must do is grant her entrance when asked by the charm" Harry explained and Isaac looked impressed. "Oh, by the way, grant me, Draco, Daphne and Theo entrance once you get their okay? I set this portkey to leave in three days. Take care of yourself Isaac, I've left food around the place in case you get hungry and I thought about getting a few more snakes so that you don't get lonely there" Isaac could have sworn that there was an unshed tear in Harry's eyes. _

"_Harry, you know that I'll be fine. In fact, I'm more worried about how you'll get along without me here. And we'll meet up in a few weeks for the Christmas holidays" Isaac comforted and Harry nodded. _

"_I know, it's just, I'll miss you. Hogwarts won't be the same without its resident basilisk" Harry joked and Isaac smiled. "Damned snake, made me get all emotional" He said archly and Isaac smirked. _

"_Take care of yourself Harry, and be good to your friends. Try not to pick to many fights with your brother and let your family down gently. Good luck young master, and have a great year" Isaac wished._

"_I'm just going to go now. I can't stop by for the three days okay? I have to go through the preliminaries for the intra-house competition" Harry said waving to Isaac. "Goodbye old friend" He whispered and Isaac nodded solemnly._

"_Till we meet again" Isaac responded as Harry left. _

**Present**

"Alright, now, for those of you still left in the running, I have one final task. You must prove yourself adept by brewing any potion in this book" Snape said, addressing the finalists for the champion's spot. He held up a dusty diary with a brown leather cover, most likely filled with the most difficult potions known to man.

Harry flipped through the diary as it came to him. It was filled with ability potions. These potions were regulated by the ministry as they were incredibly difficult to brew, but when brewed correctly could be very powerful. A botched up potion could result in permanent damage to the mind and body.

Taking a chance he decided to try the firebreathe potion, a potion that gave its user the ability to breathe fire for a finite period of time.

"Alright, now that all of you have chosen your potions, please sign a release form stating that any damages you may retain are not Hogwarts' fault, as you will be testing the potions you brew" Snape said and handed out the form. "Anyone who does not wish to participate may leave now" Four of the seven people remaining left. Now, only Draco, Harry and a sixth year remained.

"As all three of you most likely know, I am not legally allowed to administer these potions to you. Your sense of cunning has proved that you have what it takes to compete in the cup. Now, as one of you will be representing Slytherin, I expect you to know a few things. One, failure because of errors will not be tolerated. Slytherins think things through and as such, I expect you to do so. Second, Minerva and I have a small wager. If one of you causes me to lose our wager, be prepared to face the consequences" he warned and all three gulped. They knew he wasn't bluffing. "Now Evans, which potion have you chosen?" he asked Harry.

"The firebreathe potion, sir" Harry answered promptly. Snape turned to the sixth year.

"Metaskin potion, sir" The sixth year answered, his voice wavering.

"Malfoy?" Snape asked.

"The triarm potion, sir" He answered and Snape nodded.

"Very well, here are your ingredients. You will have exactly three hours to complete your potions. Begin" He said and with a wave of his wand, all the ingredients each wizard needed appeared before them. Harry set to work.

He decided to prepare the ingredients first. He began to grind the dragon scales and cut his salamander tails. "This is taking too bloody long" he muttered, frustrated at the time it was taking. Draco had already added the first ingredient to his potion and even the sixth year had lit his fire. Harry smirked. The first principle of Potter's laws of life: The more you risk, the more you win.

Harry began to chant under his breath. He had a new spell that was still untested that had a good chance of working. "Magicus duo lunus miosis" he chanted slowly and softly. Gently, the knife and mortar began to rise and move unassisted. Harry smiled; his spell had worked. It was rather simple really. All he had to do was modify a cooking spell's equation to work more exactly and then tune the incantation to respond. It was slightly risky, but a job well done.

He moved on to light the fire and add water. With his hands free, he could go over the ingredients once again and revise his work.

"Alright, now all I have to do is add a spoonful of armadillo bile and a cracked runespoor egg and wait another ten minutes" Harry noted and checked the time. He had a half hour left to finish the potion. "It should be a light purple hue" he noted and checked the potion. It indeed was a light purple hue. "The end result should be a dark red, the darker the better" He noted and check the final steps for the potion. "After adding the egg, take two acromantula eyes and take out the iris'. Insert the white of the eyes into the potion"

He gagged a bit, but inserted what was requested anyway. Where in Merlin's name did Snape get these anyway? They were disgusting. He checked the clock again. He had six minutes till Snape would get back. The potion was a deep red, just as it should be. Harry checked it over. It seemed perfect.

He pulled out six vials and filled them with the potion. The samples would sell for huge amounts in Knockturn alley. He pocketed them just as Snape strode in.

"Very well, all of you should be done with your potions. Please leave a sample on my desk and you may leave. Evans, please stay back for a minute" Snape added and Harry gulped. Could he have found out about the vials?

"Yes sir," he said, bringing up his potion.

"Evans, I got a letter in the mail asking about you. I found it very interesting" Snape began. Harry was confused.

"I'm sorry sir?" He said slowly, wondering what the letter was about.

"You should be honored. An Auror squadron from America is asking to recruit you, directly from school" Snape clarified.

"But what's the big deal?" Harry asked confused. Snape smiled, making Harry uneasy.

"You would get to skip three years of training for starters. Another perk is a small lodging and international flooing passport. You would also be working for the Creed, an elite organization of aurors outside ministry control" Snape clarified. "interested?" He asked raising an eyebrow. Harry was shocked.

"I'll think about it sir" He answered.

"Now Evans, you're a bright kid, and coming from me that is a great compliment" Snape began. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't pass it up. Tell me, what would dissuade you from accepting?" Snape prodded and Harry caved.

"My friends; I would miss out on life here in England and fall out of the loop" Harry blurted out. And it was the truth. He would miss his friends.

"You could come here every day if you felt like it. Listen Evans, this is your chance to stay out and away from the war. Take it. International students from around the globe are going to be there. I suggest you respond now as I have to fill in a hell lot of paperwork" Snape advised silkily.

"Would I still be able to live here if I choose?" Harry asked.

"Yes" Snape answered curtly.

"Then I'll accept" Harry said and Snape, for the second time, smiled.

"A well thought out choice. I commend you for it" Snape said and Harry moved to leave. "There are certain conditions of course. In order for them to send you a letter of acceptance and make it official, you have to pass ALL your NEWTS with at least E's. I expect that poses no problem?" Snape asked and Harry shook his head.

"No sir, it doesn't." Harry said softly.

"I expect great things from you Evans" Snape whispered as Harry reached the exit. "Great things indeed"

**A/N: So we can expect great things from Harry can we? How do you like that for irony? **

**Thanks everyone who helped me with the quote, but none of you got the meaning I was going for. No, I am not reading the crucible, but rather 'Death of a Salesman.' The quote was Arthur Miller's perception of a tragic hero. We were supposed to write if we agreed to his definition of it. I still can't make head or tail of the stupid quote, so I'm just going to **

**BS the entire essay**

**Write a load of completely random things about the play**

**Kill my English teacher**

**Drop out of school and move to Mexico**

**I'm leaning towards C because well, the other two aren't sure shots, and moving to Mexico is expensive and takes work. It seems like the easy way out and I am no coward! No wait, I'm just too lazy to move to Mexico. **

**Speaking of Mexico, has anyone else watched Harold and Kumar? That movie was awesome. Not as good as the first one and full of way too many sexual references, but amazing nonetheless. **

**What I loved about the movie was the stereotypes they made. They were so racist in that movie, it was hilarious. Loved the scene when the white police retard was interviewing the buff black guy. That was classic comedy.**

**The movie again, was forced. Some scenes were stupid (the hick scene with the Cyclops son), but some were incredible. I adored the grape soda scene (I was serious about that kool aid!). Watch the movie and wait for that scene, incredible. **

**Okay, so back to the story. Did it seem too rushed? What do you think of the touching flashback? How was the final challenge?**

**Reviews? Comments? Restaurant suggestions? I'm open to everything! LOL.**

**Anyways, till next time folks… **


	18. The Other Brother

"So Harry, where are you planning to er… go for Christmas

"So Harry, where are you planning to er… go for Christmas?" Theo asked. All four friends were in the Slytherin common room. Harry's face lit up in understanding.

"Oh, right. I bought a new house, and it's quite big you see. I was wondering if you three would come and stay for a few days?" Harry asked uncertainly. All four friends nodded. Harry smiled. "Great, then it's settled"

This had obviously been decided beforehand, but the four had to put up a show for all the Slytherins to see just in case. This way, if the three weren't at their homes, they would not be recruited into the death eaters and they would have a valid alibi.

"Right then, let's head down to dinner then" Theo said, stomach grumbling. Daphne giggled.

"You're always hungry" She stated and Theo kissed her after putting an arm around her.

"Right, you guys go ahead, I'll catch up later" Draco muttered gathering his things. His leg had healed quite fast after the spell.

"Right, then, see you tomorrow" Harry called as they left. Theo raised an eyebrow

"Tomorrow? He said he'll catch up with us" He asked.

"Naw, he's probably going to enjoy a meal with the know-it-all and then fall asleep in the head dorms" Harry muttered.

"For his best friend, you don't seem too happy" Daphne noticed.

"I just don't like Granger that's all" Harry replied shortly. "Anyone else and I could care less"

"Come on mate, she's not that bad" Theo reasoned. "So she's a bit overzealous about school, big deal"

"I don't know, but I really just don't like her okay?" Harry said and ended the conversation. Or at least he tried to.

"Why can't you just be happy for him? Draco is very happy with the way things are. He's liked her for years now and he finally has her. Why can't you just let him be?" Daphne asked forcefully.

"I want him to be happy, but I can't stand granger! I don't care if they go out; as long as I don't have to see it, it's fine"

"Hate to break it to you, but you won't be seeing Draco much without her soon. Eventually, it will get serious" Theo pointed out.

"That's true. Those two will be joined at the hip soon and then you won't see hide or hair of Draco without granger, so make your choice"

"How do you know? Maybe they'll break up soon" Harry said rather unconvincingly.

"Harry, you're acting childish and you know it. They won't break up, not after all Draco had to go through to get a damned date with her. He had to get beaten the crap out of just to have decent conversation with her" Daphne said firmly.

"Well at least she won't be over the hideaway for the holidays. Maybe Draco will realize how boring she is and ditch her" Harry pondered. "Besides, she'll probably ditch him after Thomas and Weasley find out"

"We'll see Harry" Daphne said evilly. "We'll see"

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Harry trudged to arithmancy, his eyes sagging from lack of sleep. He had been up all night working on a charms project and trying to perfect it. His laptop had died and took much longer to charge without electricity on hand. Instead, Harry had spend the night figuring out a lightning charm and adjusting it to a simple 110 volts to charge the computer. It was tiring work.

"Good morning class," Vector began. "Today is a very important day for this class. Anyone know why?" She asked and granger's hand shot up. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"Today is the day we are given our class projects" She said, beaming.

"Very good Ms. Granger; you will in fact be given your assignment today. This assignment will be evaluated in your NEWT grade, so please do your best. You have five months to hand it back. I wish you all good luck" She said and handed out the assignment sheets. "Your assignment is to create a spell that can be used by common people to do anything. You must show all work involved and the spell cannot already exist. No one is expected to hand in a working spell, but you all are expected to hand in a correct diagram of the theoretical spellwork. All arithmantic calculations must be correct and conjoin correctly" She lectured as everyone paid rapt attention (even Harry).

"This is going to suck" Aliss muttered to Harry and Harry shot her a look.

"So back on speaking terms again are we?" Harry asked stiffly, causing Aliss to look hurt.

"Look Harry, I said I'm sorry. I was wrong. How was I supposed to know he was your brother?" Aliss begged.

"Sorry can't raise the dead Aliss" Harry commented coldly, not caring that he was being childish. She had ditched him for his brother and his Gryffindor friends and she deserved to pay at least a little.

"Harry please, I said I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I really want to make things right" Aliss begged. Vector dismissed the class and Harry rushed to leave. Aliss followed him, jogging to keep up with his pace. "Come on Harry, please?" she begged. Harry continued to ignore her. "I'll do anything, I promise!" she… promised.

Harry shot her a look which made her recoil slightly. "Stop following me" he told her, his voice even. Tears began to form in the corner of her eye.

"Harry come on, I really am sorry! You're being unreasonable" she pleaded, but got no reaction from Harry. "Come on Harry!" It was almost comical how weak people were sometimes. He turned to face her.

"Please leave me alone, I have no desire to repeat myself" he said callously. This set her off.

"Oh come on! I apologized to you, begged for your forgiveness and yet you still won't give it to me? You heartless piece of shit!" She yelled and stalked away angrily. Harry felt a pang in his chest, but continued to walk down to his common room, stone face and all.

Harry stepped inside the common room and took a seat by the fire to think. None of his friends were around so he had time to sit and think. Think about all that happened. Isaac had left almost a week ago and Hogwarts had seemed so lonely without him. Although Harry only saw him once or twice a week, he had been a constant for Harry and knowing he was there was always reassuring. Before anytime Harry had a problem, Isaac would always help him and guide him. He was almost a surrogate parent to Harry- and an amazing friend.

His thoughts drifted to Aliss and her betrayal. He didn't know what to make of it. On one hand, he was ready to forgive her, to take her back, but on the other he wanted to punish her for what she did. He wanted her to suffer and feel pain as well. All in all, he was confused. If Isaac was here, he would know exactly what to say and what plan of action to take. But he wasn't here; he was at the new house far from Hogwarts.

Harry's mind drifted once again to the memories he had of Aliss.

**Flashback**

_Harry was sitting on a couch in the head dorm researching things on his laptop while Aliss was lying on the ground studying arithmancy. They had a test in two days, and Aliss was still having trouble. _

"_Hey Harry, what're you doing?" she asked flipping over so she was lying on her back. He shrugged. _

"_I'm working" he replied ambiguously. She frowned. _

"_All you ever do is work" she complained. "Live a little will ya?" She asked and he smirked at her. _

"_All I ever do is work eh? What about you? You work like hours at a time studying arithmancy. Granger probably sleeps clutching a bloody textbook to her chest, and you call me a workaholic?" he asked and Aliss scowled. _

"_Fair point" she admitted, but smiled again. "Now come on; you promised to show me around the school" she pestered and Harry sighed. _

"_Alright then, let's go" he said putting his stuff away. "Where do you want to start with?" He asked as they exited the common room. She put a finger in her chin and thought._

"_Well, I don't really know. I know my way around the castle and they great hall, but not much else" she thought aloud. _

"_Care to see the owlry?" Harry asked and she brightened._

"_Yeah, that would be great!" she told him. "I've been thinking of getting an owl, but haven't really gotten around to it yet. Do you have a familiar?" she asked him and he began to sweat mentally. _

"_No" he told her. He couldn't let her know about Isaac, not yet at least. "But Draco has an eagle owl and Daphne has a cat. Theo used to have a puppy, but it died" he said and she looked pensive again. _

"_Oh, that's nice. In the letter, it said I could only have an owl, toad or cat" she said and Harry shook his head. _

"_Nah, usually those are so people don't go berserk. In my second year, this first year bought a baby dragon. They just don't want you to bring anything dangerous. Dogs, birds hamsters, fish- bring any normal household pet. Given that you live in a normal household of course" he joked and she laughed. _

"_I think I'll bring my dog then" She said happily and Harry smacked his forehead. "What?" she asked confused. _

"_I hate dogs" he said, not removing his hand._

"_How can you hate dogs?" she asked with disbelief. "They're so cute and nice and loyal" _

"_I hate dogs" he said again firmly and she dropped the subject. _

"_So, where to next?" she asked skipping alongside him._

"_Well, if you stop skipping like a little schoolgirl, we can go to the quidditch pitch and fly around a bit" he said causing her to pale. _

"_I really would prefer it if we didn't fly" she said turning back. _

"_But why? Just a few days ago you told me you would love to learn" he recalled and she turned away._

"_I changed my mind" she said turning her back to him. "I'm going back to my common room. I'll see you later" She left a baffled Harry behind in the halls of Hogwarts. _

Why should he care who she hung out with? It was as he told Isaac in the chamber. He didn't fancy her. That would be what he would keep telling himself anyhow. Suddenly he felt cold and not the kind of cold a fire could cure. Chills ran through his body that were indescribable.

Should he forgive her? She had after all betrayed him and ran to his brother. Just like everyone else had. She overlooked everything in favor of his brother's fame. They all assumed that his brother was more powerful, much smarter and a better person all in all. All because of what had happened as a baby. When Voldemort attacked his brother, Harry was the one whose life was changed the most. He became the other brother- the one in the shadows.

"Harry, you in there?" Draco asked, waving a hand in front of Harry's eyes.

"Draco, how long have you been here?" Harry asked in an even voice.

"About five minutes. You looked like you had lost your soul there" Draco joked. "Come on, I promised Hermione that she could talk to you" Draco said getting up.

"What does she want to talk about?" he asked and Draco shrugged.

"Head boy stuff I suppose. You have been blowing off your duties a bit" Draco pointed out and Harry groaned.

"Best get this over with then"

"Right then, I'll wait here. She's in the head common room" he said.

"Why can't you come?" he asked Draco.

"Because I really don't feel like subjecting myself to any more lectures than I have to" Draco told him taking Harry's chair as soon as Harry left it. "And this chair is calling me" he added closing his eyes.

"Some friend you turned out to be" Harry muttered, but Draco was already sleeping (or feigning sleep) peacefully on the chair.

Harry made his way to the dorms, wondering what was so important that it couldn't wait till the prefect meeting on Monday. He opened the door to find Hermione already on the couch with a textbook open.

"Listen Granger, I know I've been shirking a bit on head duties, but-"

"This isn't about head duties" She interrupted. Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What is it then?" He asked out of curiosity.

"It's about Aliss" She said and Harry's face darkened.

"What about her?" he asked coldly and she closed the book on her lap and put it aside.

"She hasn't been herself lately" she told him. "She's been sort of isolated from everyone and she has been crying in the dorm" she continued hesitantly.

"And why is that any of my concern?" he asked evenly.

"Because she is your friend" Granger said. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Is she? I wasn't aware"

"She's falling into some weird state of mind because of a fight you two had and you can't work up the courage to forgive her for whatever petty mistake she made?" Hermione shrieked. "What kind of friend are you?" she asked. She was red in the face, and standing up now.

"Are you done yet?" Harry asked monotonously. She just stared at him. "Did she send you?" Harry asked.

"No, she doesn't even know I'm here" Hermione said confused. "Why?" she asked as he headed for the door.

"No reason" he replied before exiting the room leaving behind a slightly angry and mildly confused girl. She hesitated a second before following him.

"Harry- wait!" she cried and he turned around to glare at her lividly.

"It's Potter; are we clear?" he asked her menacingly. She wasn't his friend in any way, shape or form and therefore she had no right to call him by his given name. She flinched a little.

"Yes" she said quickly before regaining her composure. "Alright then, Potter, I'm asking you as a human being to just get over yourself and make up with Aliss"

"And I'm going to have to ask you as a person to leave me the hell ALONE!" he said angrily. Granger was getting on his last nerve.

"NO, I won't leave you until you agree to make up with Aliss" she said firmly, leaving him with two options. He chose the better of the two and pulled out his wand.

"Granger, leave me alone, or I won't hesitate to hex you" he threatened coolly. She faltered slightly before answering.

"You wouldn't do that" she answered, calling his bluff. She was sweating, clearly not confident in what she had said. Harry noticed this and answered icily.

"You sure about that?" and her lip quivered. "_Epulsa" _he whispered and she was thrown back into the head common room as he continued down the hall, silently thanking his brain for inventing such useful spells.

He continued walking, but being alone had negative effects on him. He began to think again.

When Granger was talking, he had half a mind to listen to her and march up to Aliss and forgive her, but his pride wouldn't let him. Aliss had overlooked him for his brother and that was unforgivable in his eyes. It was the one reason he had accepted the Auror invitation from America so quickly. They had chosen him because of his talent and skills alone. They hadn't judged him by his brother's fame or overlooked him. To them he wasn't just the other one.

They had chosen him


	19. Moving on

Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

It had been an extremely lonely week for Harry as there was no one to talk to around. Isaac wasn't there anymore, a fact of which he was constantly reminded of by a desolate chamber.

All of his friends were hanging around their significant others, leaving him alone. Draco, who he usually sat with, had finally worked up the courage to sit with Hermione during classes. Theo and Daphne often sat together as well. Aliss was doing her best to ignore Harry and avoid him at all costs.

It had been a monotonous week al in all and Harry was sick of the void he had fallen in. While his pride had been stabbed, there was no reason to not forgive Aliss now; after all she had suffered as well. Besides, by not forgiving her, he was taking the brunt of the punishment.

He walked into arithmancy and took his usual seat. It was a Friday, so they would all be given free time to work on their projects.

He was about to sit when he noticed that Granger had taken a different seat today, leaving Aliss with no partner. He walked over to her desk where she was working.

"Hey" he greeted awkwardly. She looked up slowly.

"Hey" she responded back monotonously. Harry shifted uncomfortably. What the hell should he say now? His mind raced and in his flustered state, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm sorry" he said quickly before realizing what he had done. She looked up at him, her eyes full of emotion.

"You're apologizing to me?" she asked in disbelief. "Putting your pride aside and admitting you were wrong" Harry fidgeted.

"Yeah, I guess I am" he said and her face, previously downtrodden lit up with happiness.

"Well, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have done what I did" she admitted, putting her pen and parchment down.

"Call us even?" he asked hopefully and she put a finger on her chin in mock thought"

"Hmm… I don't know, you left me to brood for a while. Are we really even?" She asked playfully and Harry nodded. She had used a joking tone, but her true feelings lay underneath the words.

"Fine, how about I take you to Hogsmeade?" he asked her

"It's a deal" she replied before hugging him. "I missed you" she whispered into his ear and he closed his eyes and hugged back.

"I missed you too"

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**A/N: I know I'm not supposed to put these in, but this is important. Harry and Aliss are NOT going on a date. They will be friends for a while before they realize anything. Alright now on with the show. **

**Two weeks later: **

It was bright sunny morning. The sun was shining, a beautiful layer of snow covered the Hogwarts ground. But the best part of the day was that it was a Hogwarts weekend.

Harry got up and stretched. It was the final weekend till the winter break. "Morning Draco, Theo" Harry greeted, as his two friends awoke.

"Mawrtring hawdfy" Malfoy muttered sleepily.

"What he said" Theo greeted and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" Harry checked his watch.

"It's almost eight" Harry responded and Theo rolled his eyes.

"Do you ever take that bloody thing off your wrist?" Theo asked and Harry shook his head.

"Nope, it's quite handy" Harry responded archly. Theo raised an eyebrow.

"Give me one way that thing can do anything except give you the time of day" He challenged and regretted it when he saw Harry's face light up.

"Well, what if I have a goblin chasing after me? I could drop the watch and the he would stop to pick it up, letting me home free"

"But you would have to take it off for that" Draco pointed out.

"Fine, I would hypnotize him with it" Harry amended. "Now out of bed with you two. Today's a Hogsmeade weekend" Harry informed them and they climbed out of bed, their bodies lagging as if being held back by a burden.

After all three had finished getting ready, they made their way to breakfast.

"Damn, we only have twenty minutes to eat" Theo cursed and his companions laughed.

"That's plenty of time for a human Theo" Draco joked. "We may have to check your roots. You may be part troll!" he joked and Harry laughed.

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"So Harry, where are all your friends today" Aliss asked as she and Harry walked to Hogsmeade together.

"Well, Draco and Granger are probably together as are Theo and Daphne" Harry told her and she nodded in recognition.

"That's right! Hermione said she had a date today! I didn't know it was with Malfoy" She said, connecting the dots. Harry shrugged indifferently.

"Speaking of which, where's your significant other?" Harry asked nonchalantly. His face betrayed no emotions.

"We broke up a while ago, that day he hexed Malfoy and all that" she told him shivering a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry" he said, but he didn't mean it. Inside, he was rejoicing.

"Not a big deal. Why did you asked?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Harry turned away.

"Doesn't matter. Say, you want to grab a coffee?" he asked her and she nodded, shivering.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. It's kinda cold out here anyways" She agreed and both entered the almost empty barista. "Why is it so empty this time of year?" She asked. "Doesn't the cold attract more people?" Harry shook his head.

"Wizards here prefer the old fashioned way of getting warm. Coffee isn't popular in the UK. In the US it's something people drink every day as something to give them their boost. Here, most people drink alcohol to get warm, even kids (butterbeer)" Harry pointed out. "What'll you have?" he asked her and she checked the menu card.

"I think I'll have a simple mocha latte" she said after thinking about it. Harry nodded and ordered.

"Two mocha latte's please" he ordered and in seconds, the drinks appeared before them. "Wow, great service around here" Harry muttered. "There are always better things where less people go" he said philosophically.

"Wow, don't go all Plato on me now" Aliss joked and he smiled.

"So, you never told me much about your parents or your home"

"Well, my parents are great. They're really nice and have been a huge part of my life. Both of them are into arithmancy and spellsmithing. My father also loves Alchemy. He's into that whole even exchange thing with it, but truth be told, I still don't understand it" She rambled. "My mother, she's a lot like you. She can create useful spells in the blink of an eye, but only a few times do they work" She continued.

Harry felt a wave of… (regret was it?) as Aliss spoke. "You must really love your parents" he commented with a heavy heart. He didn't betray this as he spoke though

"Yeah, I do. They're the greatest and I love them" She said and Harry yearned to feel that way about his parents. "So, what about your parents?"

Harry thought for a minute before answering. "They're… nice. My dad is an Auror for the ministry and my mom used to be one until we were born" He told her. "Not as interesting as your family" he added archly. She felt that he was hiding something, but she let it slide.

"So any plans for vacation?" She asked, attempting to make conversation. Harry smiled.

"Yeah, I'm moving out into my own house. Draco, Theo and I are planning on living together, and Daphne might as well" Harry told her. "You're welcome to visit anytime" he offered and she smiled.

"I'd love to, just give me the address later"

"So, what are you doing over vacation?" Harry asked.

"Well, not much. I'm just spending the time with my family. You know, since I've started schooling, spending time with them is hard, so we cherish the time we have together" She said wistfully.

"I can imagine" was Harry's only reply. "So what do you plan on doing after Hogwarts? This is our last year, before we enter the real world" he added, almost remorsefully.

"Yeah, I guess so" She agreed, lost in thought. "I was hoping on becoming a spell smith, but I'm not very good at arithmancy" Harry opened his mouth to protest. "You know it's true Harry; I need an O on the NEWT in order to become one, and an O requires an amazing understanding of the subject, something that only you have. Even Hermione doesn't have a chance at the NEWT!" Aliss exclaimed. "Wish I was as good as you" She added sadly. Harry took her hand in his own.

"Hey now, don't give up here. If you want to truly become something, do it. You have the chance still, you haven't missed it yet. Try your hardest to succeed, you can do it. If you don't take the chance now, you may regret it the rest of your life!" Harry exclaimed with passion. She smiled and hugged him.

"Thanks Harry; that was touching to say the least" She said as he returned the embrace. "You ripped that off something didn't you?" She asked him, resting her head on his shoulder. She smelled nice, like a fruit, a citric fruit…

"Yeah, I think it was from Oprah" He told her and she smiled. He couldn't see it, but somehow he knew she smiled.


	20. Closure

Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Chapter 19**

Harry had woken up with gusto this morning. Today was a very important day- the day the break started. The plan was simple. Draco would be going home to retrieve some on his things, while Theo and Daphne would go directly to the manor. Harry had plans of his own though.

"Come on Draco, Theo, we'll be late if we don't hurry!" Harry called as his friends lugged behind him, trunks dragging across the ground. Another great thing about the day was that he would see Isaac again after ages of waiting. It would be great to see his old friend again after a few weeks.

"Harry, why aren't you tired? You were up last night playing cards and drinking too" Draco whined, obviously suffering from a hangover. Harry smiled cheerfully. It was true. In honor of Christmas break and end of term, the three had stayed up all night playing poker and drinking their asses off.

"See, I was smart enough to not drink ten bottles of firewhiskey in three hours, unlike the two of you who decided to go all out" He told them and continued walking to the train. "Today is a very important day for me, so hurry the hell up" He said in a singsong voice.

"Shut up you goddamned demon! Why must you be so perky in so wee hours of the morning" Theo asked glaring at said demon. Harry merely smiled back.

"It's not exactly the wee hours is it?" he asked rhetorically. "It's already almost eleven, yet you two are still not awake" He said, pointing at the two. "Now come on, we have five minutes, so run with me will you?" He asked, breaking into a run with his trunk on his back.

Theo turned to Draco. "How is he running with his trunk?" He asked and the blond responded wryly.

"Feather light charm" Theo chuckled.

"Why didn't we think of that?" he asked and Draco shrugged.

"Drinking and thinking don't mix well?" he guessed before both of them broke out laughing. "No seriously, we better hurry or we will miss the train" he reminded Theo and both boys ran, trunks being dragged in the snow behind them.

They managed to hop onto the train just as it began to move away from the station, from Hogwarts, from reality.

Once the Slytherins gathered a compartment of their own, Harry spared his two dorm mates and gave them each a vial of hangover potion.

"Thank Merlin for small favors" Draco muttered as the potion kicked in. "So Harry, you think you won the spot for Slytherin's champion?" he asked. "The potion I had was hard as hell. It wasn't even close to the correct color" Harry laughed.

"I dunno, mine wasn't much better. Did you catch how the sixth year did?" Harry asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah, he did fairly well I think. His potion was periwinkle, and it was supposed to be more of an ocean blue" Draco told him and Theo laughed.

"Wow Draco, still feeling a bit hung over?" Theo asked laughing. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Forget it guys; how about a game of chess" Daphne said taking out a set. "Anyone?" She asked and all three boys backed away. Daphne was ruthless when she played chess and crushed all those who stood in her way.

"I have to go meet Hermione" Draco said, a look of comical terror on his face. He scrambled out of the compartment to go meet his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'd love to Daphne, but I have to go… to the bathroom" Harry said as he scrambled towards the lavatory. That left Theo as he victim of choice. She smiled wickedly at him before asking in a sickly sweet voice.

"Black or white?"

- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -

After Daphne had gotten over her sycophantic mood, the four began to talk.

"So, Harry, about this house, you didn't tell us much" Theo began and Harry nodded.

"Well, I liked it. It was pretty cheap because it's located out of the way of the city. A couple of things you should know about it though. It won't be connected to floo and we can't use portkeys to get in or out. Everything must be done by apparating. Anything else could be traced" he warned and all three nodded firmly. They wouldn't disobey Harry, they weren't that stupid.

"Right then how big is it?" Draco asked and Daphne groaned.

"Nothing compared to Malfoy manor of course, but it is quite big. It has six bedrooms and a game room, a living room and a huge kitchen. It's a fairly sizeable place, but again, it's muggle" He reminded them. "I'm going to drop home and pick up my stuff. What about you guys?" He asked looking around.

"Daph and I are probably going to hang around London and buy some muggle clothes. We want to blend in as much as possible right?" Theo asked stroking Daphne's hair.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Draco, you going home to pick up what your mother is to give to you?" he asked and Draco nodded.

"Yeah, he letter made it seem like something important, so I want to get it a.s.a.p." Draco said and Harry agreed.

"Don't put it off then, apparate straight home and then all four of us will meet in the leaky cauldron at four" Harry said. "I might be late, but you three, try and stick together" Harry warned. "The train's slowing. We better change into muggle clothing" Harry said and pulled down their trunks.

After they changed, Harry grabbed his trunk and led the four to the platform. They all set their trunks down and said their goodbyes. At the last minute, Harry held Daphne back.

"Daph, here are one hundred galleons. I ordered something at that potion shop in Knockturn. Pick it up for me? It should cost eighty eight. Keep the rest incase you need them" Harry said, handing over a sack of money to his friend. Daphne smiled warmly.

"Of course I will Harry, and thanks for the extra galleons. They might just come in handy" She said before departing. "Take care Harry. See you at four!" She called as she ran to catch up with Theo.

"Yeah, see you" Harry called back before turning around to find his family. He couldn't. Then it hit him. They had said something about Thomas going home with the Weasleys and that he was to apparate home. Harry sighed before flicking his wrist and appearing in his house.

"Harry dear!" his mother greeted as he regained his bearings. "How's school going?" she asked as she continued decorating the house.

"Fine" he said, dropping his trunk in the hall. Making his way up the stairs and too his room, he noticed the lack of people in the house. "Mum, where is everyone?" He called from his room.

"Your father will be back soon. He went to grab some groceries! Remus and Sirius should be around later" his mother called back.

Harry opened his closet and pulled out his old trunk. He began to pack all his clothes he wanted, his electronics and his books and albums. Realizing it would be near impossible to do it all by hand, he flicked his wand swiftly and his things began to collect. They formed a huge tornado and began to fill into his trunk.

In ten minutes, every single item he wanted was in his trunk. "Gotta love magic" he mumbled appreciatively and closed the clasp of the trunk. "A feather light charm and we're all set" he said and pulled his trunk over his shoulder. He descended the stairs just as his father came through the door with a few bags of groceries.

"Where you going son?" a very confused James Potter asked his son.

"I'm moving out" Harry answered with perfect nonchalance. James gaped.

"Lily, come out here for a second" he called.

"Busy honey" she called from the kitchen.

"This is important" James called back firmly. Lily came from the kitchen wearing an apron.

"Yes dear?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Did you know Harry was moving out?" he asked his wife and she shook her head.

"No, I never heard this. Is it true Harry dear?" she asked, her eyes begging him to say no. He didn't comply.

"Yeah it is true. I found a house and I'm moving in with a couple of friends" he told her and she began to tear up.

"Harry, please, let's talk about this" she begged and pulled him over to the kitchen table. James and Lily each took a seat across from Harry.

"Why are you in such a hurry to move out?" James asked. "You have everything you could ever want right here. A great home, a family that loves you" He began listing and Harry snorted. "What?" James asked in confusion.

"A family that loves me?" Harry asked skeptically. "All this family loves is its golden boy" Harry told them and both seemed taken aback.

"What are you talking about Harry?" Lily asked. "Anything you ever wanted, we got you no matter how expensive. Anything you asked for was yours"

"And what about what I didn't ask for?" he asked looking her in the eye with a steel gaze.

"What do you mean by that?" James asked.

"I mean love. You gave me whatever material possessions I wanted, yes, but did you provide me with love and affection?" He asked and both parents hesitated before answering.

"We love you, you know that" James said after a moment of silence.

"Have you ever told me that? Have you ever hugged me except on special occasions? On my last birthday, you wouldn't even let me invite my friends!" Harry pointed out.

"That was for your brother's safety!" James cried out in protest. "And we always thought you didn't really like physical contact" he added. Harry laughed mockingly.

"And what would you know about what _I _like?" he asked condescendingly. "Do you know anything about me?" Harry sneered and James opened his mouth to protest.

"Of course we do!" He said hotly. "You're our son" he exclaimed

"No, you don't. Everything is about Thomas. Thomas this, Thomas that. I don't have any bloody pull around this house! You treat me like a guest, not like family" Harry said coldly.

"That's not true" Lily wailed, tears on the verge of crossing the thresholds of her eyes. She almost seemed to be trying to convince herself of the very fact, but was failing miserably.

"You've ignored that fact because I chose never to speak up. Love isn't something one should have to ask for. It should be given by choice. I no longer wish to impose my presence upon you any longer" Harry said getting up.

"Harry please reconsider" James begged, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Son, it may seem like we don't sometimes, but we do love you" Harry looked away.

"I don't believe you" he said stiffly and James flinched at the icy nature of his son's voice.

"Please Harry, don't do this" lily begged. "I know we haven't been the greatest parents in the world, but at least give us another chance!" She sobbed out, the floodgates finally cracking under pressure.

"Another chance?" Harry laughed. It was a cold laugh that sent chills down both parents' spines. A heartless, cruel laugh. "You've had seventeen years to make any amends you wanted. I don't have another seventeen years to waste on your lies" he told them and the both averted their eyes, ashamed of what had happened to their family.

"Harry, please! We're… sorry" Lily choked out as James patted her on the back.

"Sorry? Sorry can't change what happened. Sorry can't change what you did" Harry mocked. Truth be told, he was enjoying this in a very disturbing way. "I've never gotten my way in this house, except for today. There is no one who can change my decision. For once, I won't be overruled by Thomas" he said.

"Harry, please be reasonable" James implored.

"Reasonable? The time for reason has long passed. In fact, that time ended when I entered Slytherin, the slimy snake house, right father?" James hung his head in shame, recognizing what he had called the house throughout his life. "You always used to preach about how slimy Slytherins were evil little devils who deserved to be hexed and treated like scum. Well, I have news for you. I'm one of them" Harry exclaimed in anger.

"Son, I know…" James began weakly.

"NO, you don't know anything! I know what a jerk you were back in the day. After all, Snape is my head of house. I know exactly what you think of people like me" Harry interrupted.

"Harry, I was a child back then. I didn't know better" James said attempting to redeem himself a little.

"Well if that were true, why did you distance yourself from me when I was sorted into Slytherin? Did my entrance into that house hurt you? Did I become an enemy?" Harry taunted and James exploded.

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" James said before calming down. "You brought back memories, of past mistakes and I thought that… that your brother and you would become like me and Snape were. I thought you two, who were always so close, would become different sides of a coin. I thought that you would seek solace with the death eaters, just like Snape did" James admitted quietly.

"You lost trust in me. You didn't think I would remain loyal to the family and Thomas" Harry added coldly. "You expected me to fall into the wrong crowd. But not for a minute did you do anything to ensure I didn't. Did you think my family meant nothing to me?" Harry asked heatedly. He closed his eyes and calmed himself. "Look, I didn't come here to argue with you" he said. James looked up. "All I came to ask is why? Why did you treat me like that? Was it because I wasn't the famous one? Why? All I came here for was the truth" Harry said and James looked him dead in the eye.

"I'll give you the truth; I owe you that much" James admitted as Lily continued to cry next to him. "Your brother was, as you know, in a prophecy. You two were only told the half of it; the part that said Thomas was the chosen one. What we haven't told you is the last part" James said and Harry nodded for him to continue. "The last part said that Voldemort and Thomas would fight till the death- that one would die by the hands of the other" James said and Harry's eyes lit up in recognition.

"So in case he died and you lost him, you tried to spend as much time making him happy as possible right? You tried to save him before he died" Harry said and James nodded. Harry turned and headed towards the door. "In trying to save one son, you lost the other" he stated and walked through the open door.

Behind him he heard Lily sob and James call his name, but he closed his eyes and moved forward.

Without looking back.


	21. A New Home

Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Harry arrived at the Cauldron a good ten minutes before schedule. He pulled out a few sickles and ordered a butterbeer. Tom served him with a toothy smile which sent chills up Harry's spine. That man was far too eerie for his liking.

The Cauldron was empty except for a man in a hood picking at what was left of his meal and Harry himself. The man had a huge cloak on that covered his features. His hands were the only thing Harry could clearly see. Suddenly, the man got up and left abruptly after throwing a few sickles on the table. Had he noticed Harry watching him?

Harry slowly sipped his butterbeer as he waited for his friends to show. They eventually did, albeit seven minutes late. They came in laughing and carrying shopping bags with them. "So, have a good day?" he asked, getting their attention. Theo smiled.

"Yeah, it was pretty good all in all. We bought a few sets of muggle clothes for each of us and withdrew a handsome sum of galleons from out accounts" He told Harry who had erected wards to keep people from overhearing them.

"Daphne, did you… have a good time?" Harry asked, masking his real question.

"Oh _yes _Harry, I did. Muggle stores are so much fun to shop in. We got a few things that I have to show you once we get home" Daphne answered.

"That's great Daph; you guys ready to head home?" Harry asked.

"What about Draco?" Theo asked as Harry checked his watch.

"Draco will be here in about three seconds" Harry said and Daphne looked at him incredulously.

"How in Merlin's name could you possibly know that?" She asked just as Malfoy scrambled out of the floo.

"I'm here!" he exclaimed as Theo and Harry pulled him to his feet. "Sorry I'm late" he muttered sheepishly. Harry looked at Daphne in triumph.

"Let's just go already" she said crossing her arms. "We're already twenty minutes late" she pointed out. Harry nodded.

"I'll apparate all of us to the location. Hold on to my sleeve and don't let go for anything" he warned. "I've never done a triple side along before, so let's hope this goes well" he said and before anyone could respond, he apparated them all to the house.

"Damn it Harry, why did you scare us like that?" Draco yelled as they arrived. Harry merely shrugged.

"So here's the house, what do you think?" Harry asked gesturing to the house. It had a beautiful black gate that led to a twenty foot long driveway. The driveway led to an old gray manor that seemed to loom over the earth. It was very gothic in its building style, yet showed the elegance of a Greek build. If one word would be chosen to describe it, that word would be old.

The roof had moss hanging off of it and the edifice seemed as if it had only housed dust for the last century. The manor had definitely passed its peak, but one could tell that during its prime, it had been magnificent. As they opened the gate, Harry noticed a name etched in the side, most likely the name of its previous owner. It was hard to read as the stone had eroded over time and the name had faded to the point where it was illegible.

"Damn Harry, this house is huge, but it's kinda old" Theo said pulling Harry's attention away from the stone.

"It'll take some fixing up, but hey, we got time" Harry pointed out with determination. "We'll make it a home" he promised himself under his breath

Once they entered the antechamber, they looked at the house in all its glory. It was circular chamber with a dome shaped ceiling. There were certain drawbacks, such as the fact that the entire house was caked with an inch thick layer of dust, but the house was redeemable. It would take some work, but the house would be restored to its previous stature. The paint was slightly chipped as well Harry noted and made a mental note to fix it up. He was brought out of his thoughts by a hiss from below.

"Right then, kitchen is straight ahead, living room to your left, and to your right are stairs. The stairs lead to five of the six bedrooms. Pick any that you like" Harry told them and the three scrambled to pick rooms.

Harry made his way into the kitchen and down another staircase. The staircase seemed almost endless, but finally revealed a large bedroom. In the bedroom was a full sized bed, a desk and chair and a few lamps. There was also a closet and a wardrobe to the side.

The most interesting feature of all however was a small door, about the size of three basketballs stacked in a pyramid. It had no doorknob, nor did it have a hole in it.

Harry walked up to the door. "_Open" _he hissed and the door obeyed. Harry sat down and slid through the door feet first. Behind the door was a spiraling slide that descended Harry sixty feet below the ground.

"_Harry! You're here" _Isaac greeted as Harry came flying off the slide and fell face first on the floor.

"_Ouch! That hurt; I should put something there" _Harry thought aloud before noticing his friend waiting intently "_So Isaac, how do you like your new home?" _he asked taking a look around. It was almost exactly as he left it, neat and precise. The only blemish in the room was a sixty foot long snake skin. "_Shall I burn your skin for you?" _Harry asked as he pulled out his wand and did just that.

"_It's a bit lonely down here. Not much to do" _Isaac admitted and sighed. _"Enough about me, how have you been? I've been worried about you. Usually every time you need something, you come to me. How has Hogwarts been?" _Isaac asked.

"You know, same old, same old" he said ambiguously, but Isaac didn't ponder it. "I've been keeping out of trouble" Harry said.

"_I would ask you to please refrain from lying. You out of trouble? Doubtful at best. As you often say, trouble has a knack for knocking on your door" _Isaac joked and Harry pouted.

"I can stay out of trouble, it's not impossible" he argued, but laughed alongside his friend. "You need anything?" Harry asked and Isaac shook his head.

"Nothing you haven't already given me" Isaac told him before adopting a more serious expression. "Harry, I have never gotten the chance to thank you for this" Isaac said warmly. "Thank you for freeing me from that awful place. I never told you this, but I was under a spell that forced me to stay within the boundaries of Hogwarts' wards unless allowed to leave by a parselmouth. I just want to thank you, for my freedom"

"I owe you for all those times you helped me. I'm just glad I was of some use to you" Harry said warmly. He moved to hug the snake, who complied.

"You should go back up. Your friends may tire of waiting for you" Isaac pointed out and Harry nodded.

"I'll be back soon" Harry promised and apparated to his room. He jogged up the stairs and into the kitchen where his friends had gathered. "So, why don't you guys go unpack?" Harry suggested and the three looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"Aren't the house elves going to do that for us?" Draco asked stupidly and the other two nodded as well. Harry smacked his forehead.

"This is a muggle house guys. Emphasis on the word muggle. There are no house elves in this house" Harry said slowly, as if talking to a child.

"Then who's going to cook and clean and serve us food?" Theo asked recoiling at Harry's glare.

"We have to do all that and more ourselves" Harry said again and all three turned pale.

"Damn Harry, you never told us about that" Daphne whined and Harry glared at her.

"Enough of this. I will prepare food while you three can each pick a chore which you would like to do" he said looking pointedly at his friends. "Let me help you. Draco, you go down to the grocery store and buy us some things. I'll give you a list. Stop by at the liquor store too. Daphne, you can put everyone's trunk in their rooms and Theo, you can tidy up a bit. Clean up around and get all the dust out of this place" Harry instructed and the three hopped to it.

Soon the house was bustling with activity. Everyone was doing what they were told with maximum efficiency. Harry cast a few household spells to get the kitchen cleaned out before he explained exactly what he wanted Draco to get him from the store. He showed the three of them how to use muggle money and sent Draco off.

"So, what do you guys want to eat?" he asked, cleaning out a few plates and utensils.

Theo shrugged. "Make us something filling quickly. I'm famished" he said and his stomach rumbled. Daphne laughed.

"Don't mind him Harry; you take the time you need to make us something good" Daphne prompted. "Actually, I have to show you a few things we bought for the four of us" Daphne said motioning to the entrance hall. Harry washed his hands before turning to Theo.

"Theo, if you don't mind, could you clean out a few glasses?" He asked and Theo obliged. "Daphne, lead the way" he prompted and she led him into the entrance hall where the shopping bags were kept.

"Alright, here are the ingredients you asked for" Daphne whispered as she stuffed a package into his hands. "I suggest you put them away quickly, preferably in your room" she advised. "What are those for anyway?" she asked curiously and Harry shook his head.

"Nothing important" Harry told her, banishing them into Isaac's lair. He would claim them later. "Come on, we better go back before Theo dies of hunger or being overworked" Harry said moving back towards the kitchen. Daphne wasn't satisfied with his answer, but let it pass in favor of giving Harry room. He would tell them eventually. Pressing him for information wouldn't do any good.

Draco returned minutes later with the groceries and drinks and Harry set everyone to work in the kitchen. The house was alight with activity and all four of them came together to the table to enjoy their first meal in their new home.

In honor of this, Harry poured each of them a glass of wine and made a toast.

"To our new home" he said raising his glass and the other three did the same.

This was just a house at the moment, but Harry knew that they would all do their best to make it a home-

Their home

**A/N: I've abstained from authors notes, and everyone hates them so I'll keep them brief. Review!! The last two chapters barely 25 people reviewed in total! Reviews are my cocaine, so get me high (terrible analogy, but you get the idea). **

**Everyone had asked me the same question in some way and I want to answer it. Drumroll please…**

**Harry is not the boy-who-lived persay. Even if he was no one can prove it because the only people who know are either dead or were one year old. One year olds CANNOT remember what happened at the age. It is virtually impossible, so for the sake of this story Thomas is the BWL. That kinda ties into my plot later on, so don't be alarmed by it. Also, Dumbles is not a biased idiot. He is more of the sophomoric old guy who doesn't do much. **

**Alright, Later all!! And remember to leave a review containing what you thought! **

**Adios!**


	22. Christmas Eve Part 1

Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Harry awoke an annoying series of pecks on his window. Yawning, he went to the window and let the owl that was responsible for his awakening inside. Attached to the owl's leg was a huge letter as well as a small formal envelope. Harry took off both an opened the letter. The first thing he noticed was his mother's handwriting and a lot of smudges where some kind of liquid had mixed with the ink. He began to read.

_Dear Harry,_

_We hope you are well and perhaps more level headed than the last time we talked. Your father and I just want to say that we're sorry. Both of us made our fair share of mistakes, and we admit to them. _

_While we were not the best of parents, we were definitely not the worst. There is still time to salvage our relationship. Please, don't do this to us. Please Harry, we are not asking you to come around entirely, or forgive us. We don't deserve it. We never realized what we were doing to you until it was too late, and we're willing to face the consequences. Punish us however you wish, but please, don't sever bonds with us. We are family no matter what. Please remember that. _

_All that we ask is that you think it over, and give us a second chance to win back your trust. Harry, all we want to do is make amends for what we did back then. You're our son, and we care for you dearly. Believe it or not Harry, we love you. We always will. No more or less than we do your brother. _

_We basically wrote this letter to apologize to you. That's all we can do at the time. We can't turn back time and change what we did to you. Believe me, if we could, we'd do it in a heartbeat. It is up to you to accept this apology, and we wouldn't blame you if you didn't, but please give us another chance. _

_Come over for Christmas Harry, please come celebrate it with your family. _

_Your Parents, _

_Lily and James Potter_

Harry folded the letter and tossed it into the trash can in his room. It hit the plastic can with a small noise that made Harry's heart twist a bit.

He turned to the envelope and opened it. It read:

_Dear Harry, _

_There isn't any easy way to say this, but I think I have to. Before you ask, Lily and James know nothing about this letter. I attached it without their knowledge so don't accuse them of anything. _

_As your godfather, it is my right to provide you with any counsel you may seek. Okay fine, that was what Remus told me my duty was. But, it still remains my duty. _

_Basically what I'm trying to say is why? Why did you do this to your parents? I knew you were extremely angry and rightfully so, but did you consider what this would do to them? _

_Lily's been crying her eyes out ever since you left. James, is frankly in shock, and it takes a lot to shock a man like him. What the hell were you thinking?? _

_I am NOT in any way telling you off for the motives you had. You were completely justified in why you left and such. I'm telling you off for your methods. Your parents do care about you, a lot. If they didn't, I would totally condone your actions, but what you did wasn't good Harry. You may well have ruined your family's holidays because of what you did. _

_You know that I'm rarely ever serious with ANYONE, despite my name (lame joke, I get it) but I'm going to be serious here. _

_You're a good kid Harry, but what you did wasn't the best thing you could have done. There were plenty more ways to get your point across. But then again you did have seventeen years of anger bottled up. Okay now I'm just rambling on and on about this stuff. _

_Right then, how are you? Settling in well in your new home? I hope so. I know, it seems that everyone is against you, but we're not._

_At least think about visiting during Christmas. I know you'll make the right decision. I trust you Harry. _

_Love, _

_Your Godfather, _

_Sirius Black_

Harry took the letter and shoved it into his desk drawer. He was angry. Sirius had taken their side over his. That was low, real low.

"Harry, you awake yet?" Daphne called from the kitchen. Harry calmed himself before answering.

"Yeah, I'm up. I'll be there in a few" he called before heading into the bathroom. He needed a long shower to mull things over.

- - - - - - - - -

The next day was the twenty fourth of December. Harry sat at the kitchen table sipping hot chocolate with Draco and Theo. Daphne had gone out under a dose of polyjuice potion.

"Guys, I need your help" Theo said nervously. Harry put down his cup and reclined in his chair.

"What kind of help?" Harry asked casually, gauging Theo's reaction.

"I want to propose" Theo said, averting his eyes from his two friends.

"To Daphne?" Draco asked finishing his drink. Harry and Theo stared at him.

"No Draco, to that old man down the street. He was looking pretty lonely, so I decided to pop the question" Theo answered sarcastically. "Yes to Daphne!"

"So what's your problem?" Harry asked carefully. If his two friends wanted to get married, what did he have to do with it?

"I don't know if I should" Theo answered. "I don't know if she'll say yes, or if we should wait" Theo said. Harry stroked his forehead, a sign that he was deep in thought.

"Do you love her?" he asked Theo, who looked at him strangely.

"What?" he asked stupidly.

"Do. You. Love. Her?" he repeated slowly.

"Well, yeah, I guess" Theo answered, but he seemed to mull it over as he said it.

"Then wait" Harry advised and Draco looked at him before asking what was on his mind.

"If he loves her why wait?" Draco asked and Harry smirked.

"What I was looking for wasn't the actual response, but the conviction behind it. Theo, you aren't ready yet, and you guys should wait a bit, until you're sure that you're ready to do this. Marriage isn't something to be taken lightly" Harry said wisely and Theo nodded.

"Yeah, guess you have a good point" he said nursing his drink. "Besides, I felt weird about it anyway. Thanks Harry"

"Not a problem" Harry said.

"What's not a problem?" Daphne asked, walking in with a bag of clothes in one hand, and groceries in the other.

"Nothing" all three replied in unison.

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" Harry asked clapping his hands together. "Its Christmas eve, so let's celebrate a bit" he offered. Before anyone could reply, pecking was heard on the window of the kitchen. A Daily Prophet owl was waiting to be let in. Daphne let the tawny owl in and slipped a sickle into its pouch before it left.

She unfolded the paper and frowned. Silently, she handed the paper over to Harry who looked it over as well.

The headline read: _**Dark Lord on move again. Can he be stopped?**_ He passed the paper on to Theo who passed it to Draco.

"So, who wants to read the article this time?" Harry asked, sighing in resignation.

"I'll do it" Daphne offered.

_**Dark Lord on move again **_

_Last night alone, the Dark mark was found over thirteen houses. These houses were all owned by muggle people who were enjoying dinner with their families. One wizarding witness, who chose to remain anonymous, said that "The death eaters marched into the houses demanding something. They were not here to kill random muggles or terrorize people. They were looking for something." But what in the world could Death eaters want from a muggle?  
_

_One thing is certain; You-know-who needs something and he will kill as many people as he needs to in order to obtain it. Whatever he is looking for, he needs it fast. What could he be searching for though? Perhaps a new weapon of some sort to kill or control people? Or maybe a certain person? Who knows? _

_The ministry recommends that you keep your cool in any situation. The best thing to do is to apparate or floo away if any death eater activity is spotted in your area. Come to the ministry and report it. They will have Aurors sent there immediately. _

"_There is no need to worry about this. The ministry has control of the situation and will take care of it as soon as it can. Panicking is a bad idea. Take your time and steady yourself before contacting the ministry. We are doing everything we can to stop this threat and will take care of it as soon as we can" the minister said at a press conference two days ago. _

_Ministry approved methods of protection from Death eaters, page 12_

_The Dark mark and how to spot it, page 13_

_The minister's plans for the future, page 23_

_Obituaries, page 42_

She tossed the paper aside to read later. "What a bunch of bull" she said and the boys murmured their agreement. "You still think it's safe to leave the house Harry?" she asked worriedly.

Harry thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think it's fine as long as we grab some polyjuice before we leave" he told them. "Well, I'm going to get ready, so you guys decide where to go. I'll be back in an hour or so" he promised heading downstairs to his room.

The first thing he did was head down to confront Isaac about what was going on. He had kept the letters to his family a secret and it was killing him to not be able to discuss them

"_Hello Isaac, how goes it?_" Harry hissed casually. Isaac immediately knew something was wrong.

"_What_ _is it Harry? I have no time to waste on you beating around the bush_" Isaac said and Harry sighed.

"_Things are going on_" he admitted. "_Voldemort is looking for something and he's killing muggles for it_" Harry said.

"_So what's it to you? It's your brother's problem now isn't it?_" Isaac asked.

"_That's exactly it! I got letters from Sirius and my parents_" Harry began

"_Now we're at the root of what's troubling you_" Isaac said approvingly. "_Now what did those letters say?_" he asked and Harry looked down.

"_Sirius said that what I did was irrational and that it hurt my parents. My parents are begging me to come home_" Harry told him, shuffling his feet and taking a newfound interest in his shoes.

"_Well what do you think?_" Isaac asked patiently. Harry grunted in irritation.

"I _don't know! I don't know if what I did was right or wrong!_" he said forcefully.

"_And there is your problem. You aren't sure of you choice. Harry, one can never make a choice that makes everyone happy. Many times, there is no right or wrong choice. What you did may not have been the best thing to do, but it was your choice. You shouldn't second guess yourself, but rather learn from you mistakes. Harry, you made a mistake, but you can still fix it" _Isaac told him soothingly and Harry hung his head.

"_How?_" he asked weakly and Isaac looked away.

"_That's not something I can tell you_" he said and Harry nodded solemnly. "_But, I do have something to cheer you up_" Isaac said and pointed to the far left corner of the room. There, a steaming cauldron was steaming yellow smoke.

"_The animagus potion is ready!_" Harry realized before running towards it. "_This is great! Can I take it now?_" he asked excitedly. "_Please Isaac? Please??_" he begged and the snake nodded.

"_I don't see why not_" he said but before the sentence was finished, Harry had already begun sprinting towards the cauldron. Before Isaac could protest, Harry conjured a vial, scooped some of the steaming concoction into in and downed it. Everything went black.

"Bloody hell" Harry said opening his eyes, but he wasn't in Isaac's quarters anymore. Instead, he was inside a dungeon filled with moss. The air was cool and damp. No matter how creepy these things were, the creepiest thing was the silence. There was not a single solitary sound in the dungeon. It was eerily quiet. "Where the hell am I?" Harry wondered aloud and his voice echoed through the dungeon, making him jump.

Looking ahead through the darkness, he could see a flicker of torches in the distance. With no other ideas, he began to walk in the direction of the torches.

Harry felt very nervous, as if he was being watched. He quickened his pace, walking fast, and looking around. He didn't sense anything, but still felt the need to stay alert just in case. The tension in the air increased and so did Harry's pace. Soon, he was running at Godspeed towards the torches, whose flame seemed to be getting bigger.

But as he came to the source of light, he realized that it led nowhere. Ahead of him was just a wall. A big stone wall with a small indent on the left side. An indent the size of a hand? Harry raised an eyebrow and approached it. Slowly, but without hesitation, he pushed his hand into the indent. It was a perfect fit, as if it was meant to be there. After a second, Harry simply fell through the wall, as if it wasn't even there.

The wall had led him to a prison, with a single cage at the end of the hall. There was something inside that cage, something that wanted out. A pair of bright green eyes flashed a murderous green and Harry almost flinched backwards, but refrained from doing so.

"_Let me out_" was the hiss that came from the cage. "_The keys! Let me out!_" the snake hissed. Harry looked to his left and found a keychain. He fumbled for the right key and pushed it into the lock. The door swung open, slowly, creaking loudly. It was then that Harry first saw the creature in all its glory. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Before he could say anything, the beast spoke. "_You have proved yourself my new master young one. Let us become one_" it hissed before diving headfirst into Harry's chest and melting into his body.

For the second time that day, everything went black.

**A/N: How was it? Any questions, comments? Suggestions? **

**The next chapter will probably NOT be too long. This chapter and the next were supposed to be one, but I wanted to update ASAP, so here. I know its been a while, but life happened and it sucked. So anyway here it is. **

**The next part will be VERY important to the plot, even though it won't seem it. I want to take my time typing it so it comes out as good as possible. **

**If you see this updated today/ tomorrow, it probably will NOT be an update, but rather an edit. This chapter was never edited, so I have to do it soon. **

**Goodbye, and don't forget to review!!**


	23. Christmas Eve Part 2

Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"_Harry" _Isaac prodded the prone boy's body with his tail. "Wake up!" he urged.

Groggily, Harry opened his eyes to see Isaac looming over him. "Hey Isaac, what's up?" he asked weakly.

"What's up? You've been screaming your head off for the last ten minutes. What the fuck was going on inside your head?" Isaac demanded. Harry moved into a sitting position, resting his back on the stone wall.

"Well, you would probably scream too if a giant snake jumped into your chest" he said and successfully aroused Isaac's curiosity.

"A giant snake huh? Well I always knew you were a snake inside and out" Isaac praised. "Although I am curious to see what kind of snake you are. The only giant snake I know of is a basilisk, and for you to be a pure bred basilisk would be impossible" Isaac mused aloud. Harry shook his head.

"I know it is, but I wasn't a basilisk, at least not like you are. The snake I saw wasn't nearly as long. It was about twenty feet long tops. It was a different snake altogether, but just as majestic" Harry told him still using the wall for support.

"Any defining characteristics?" Isaac asked and Harry nodded slowly. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"It had wings" he said slowly. Isaac's eyes widened and his mouth crept open.

"You're kidding me!" he exclaimed so oddly that Harry couldn't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"No, I'm serious, dead serious. Why?" He asked, his own curiosity aroused. "Is this something bad?"

"No, not bad. Just very, very surprising" Isaac told him, still seeming in disbelief.

"Isaac? Snap out of it!" Harry said noticing that his snake was in a daze. "Tell me what the hell just jumped into my fucking body!" Harry all but snapped in annoyance.

"You know basilisks are the king of snakes correct?" Isaac asked and Harry nodded. "Well if there are kings, there are bound to be queens" Isaac pointed out and Harry nodded again. "Those queens are female basilisks. Now, where there are queens and kings, there are bound to be princes" The basilisk pointed out.

"Are you telling me a fairy tale or what my form is?" Harry asked exasperated.

"Patience young snake, patience. Now, these princes were wiped of the earth by the human race a long while back. They were very dangerous to humans and tedious to kill. They can withstand the most powerful hexes, much like dragons. These princes were known as Firmamentus. They were winged snakes, bred from Dragon's mating with basilisks. The alliance between snake and draconians was forged because of these creatures" Issac explained and Harry listened, drinking in every word.

"So you think that I am one of these Firmamentus?" Harry asked and Isaac nodded. "That's freaking sweet!" Harry exclaimed weakly. He was still having trouble moving his legs and speaking. His energy was shot from the animagus escapade.

"I haven't even gotten to the best part. As a breed of two powerful reptiles, you obviously have a lot of power. Your skin is as spell resistant as dragon skin and your eyes can petrify if you will them too. You're even immune to most snake venoms, including mine" Isaac told him and Harry's eyes gleamed with pride in himself. "There are downsides too. You have no legs, but you do have arms. Learning how to use the transformation will be tedious and tricky too. You will ONLY attempt it in my presence" Isaac ordered and Harry nodded.

"I'm no idiot and I don't have a death wish" Harry assured him. "Oh shit! I promised my friends I'd be ready ten minutes ago!" he exclaimed, checking his watch. "We'll start my transformations ASAP yeah?" Harry asked, and Isaac nodded.

"Wait, before you leave, take a strengthening potion from your stores. You need it" Isaac advised as Harry tried to get up and failed miserably.

"Good idea" he muttered as he pushed himself off the ground with his arms. "Accio potions" he annunciated and a pack of potions came speeding at him. He removed one and drank it and banished the rest away. "Later Isaac" he said before apparating away.

He appeared in his room with an iota of a crack. He quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt before grabbing a few vials of Polyjuice and shoving them in his pocket.

"You guys ready?" he asked making his way upstairs.

"Yeah, we've been waiting for you" Draco said. "Waiting sucks" he added and Harry snorted.

"Well, now you know how we feel every time you're late" he said and clapped his hands together. "Alright, so where to?" he asked the group in general. Theo took the liberty of answering.

"We're not sure. All we know about are magical places we can visit" Theo admitted. Harry sighed.

"Well why don't we just hang around muggle London?" Harry suggested and the other three agreed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent going around a shopping mall where Harry introduced Daphne, Theo and Draco to credit cards, video games, television and cell phones. They were all amazed by what muggles used to get around the magic clause.

"Harry, this stuff is brilliant" Draco admitted. "Wonder why You-Know-Who hates muggles" he mused.

Harry answered absentmindedly. "He hates them because he's a bastard" Harry commented dryly and Draco couldn't help but agree. Suddenly a man came running past them screaming his lungs out.

"FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE NEAR THE EXIT!" he screamed causing a mass panic. Something was off though. Harry's intuition kicked in.

"Everyone, take a swig of polyjuice now!" he ordered and they did. Harry changed into a green haired boy with grey eyes. Daphne turned into an Asian girl with hair well past her shoulders. Draco turned into a bald Spanish kid and Theo changed into a blond kid with braces. These were their alias' for the moment.

"Why the bloody hell are we using this?" Theo asked in annoyance. "It's a fire, not a death eater attack!" he pointed out. Harry shook his head.

"Don't be too sure. Remember today's paper? The death eaters have been very active" Harry reminded them.

"What do we do?" Draco asked in a panicked voice. He attempted to apparated, but ended of falling. "Harry's right. Wards are up" he said. "WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO?" he asked in a frenzy. Harry stunned him.

"Theo, Daphne, this is a muggle mall. There are at least ten exits. If you can't find one, go to the roof and fly off of it" he ordered.

"What about you?" Daphne asked worriedly.

"I'm going to check this out. I'm curious" he told her and she hesitated before moving away.

"Stay safe Harry" she said before catching up with Theo (who was lugging Draco behind him).

Harry made a beeline towards where some flashes of light were. There he could see a few familiar faces of the Order fighting masked death eaters. From the looks of it, neither Dumbledore nor Voldy made the show, but that didn't mean much. From the looks of it, the order was taking huge blows. They were outnumbered three to one.

Harry shifted left to avoid a stray killing curse before joining the fray. From the looks of it, Sirius was dueling a death eater who was getting the best of him. Without taking a second to think about it, he jumped to his godfather's aid.

"Stupefy!" he screamed, stunning the death eater from the back. Sirius looked at him curiously, wondering who exactly he was, before nodding in thanks. Harry nodded back before turning around just in time to avoid decapitation.

"Retreat!" someone, no doubt from the order screamed, but to no avail. Where the hell could they go? The exit was sealed by a wall of fire and the wards prevented apparition. That was it! If Harry could disable the wards, then he could free the order. It was time to test his skills.

He began to shoot detection spells in every direction, disguising them as stunners or cutting curses. As the curses collided with the boundaries of wards, the wards began to glow an ominous blue.

There! Harry hit the point he was looking for. The point where a rune was written. Now all he had to do was use the counter equation to neutralize the ward. He undid the ward faster than one could say finite.

"Apparate out!" He screamed to the order members who gladly obliged. After he was sure every order member was out of the building, he tried another spell of his own- one that would give the death eaters a surprise.

He apparated a block away from the mall and watched as it blew up. Death eaters game flying out and fell to the ground, heavily injured, but alive none the less. His work done, he apparated back to the house.

"Oh Harry, you're alive!" Daphne screeched as she pulled him into a tight hug, which he awkwardly returned.

"Yeah, I am alive" he agreed slowly. As they parted, she smacked him on the arm.

"We thought you to be dead! You were gone for an hour! We got so scared and feared the worst must have happened" she sobbed and Theo put an arm around her.

"What happened anyway mate?" Draco asked as Theo comforted Daphne.

"Not much. Order members were fighting and losing. I stepped in saved a few, got my leg injured and disabled the wards. Then I blew the place up" he told them He started to walk towards the kitchen when his body ran out of adrenaline and the pain set in. "FUCK" he screamed in agony. "That hurt" he said much more quietly.

Daphne ran to get him some potions as Theo and Draco helped him to the couch. "So, how was it?" Theo asked, gauging how Harry would react to such a question.

"It was pretty awesome actually. It felt like I belonged there, fighting. My mind worked faster than any other time I can remember" he admitted and it was true. He loved the feeling he had out on the battlefield. The risk made it so much more fun, exciting, exhilarating. It was an amazing experience.

"Here is a pain reliever and a numbing potion" Daphne said giving them both to him. "Take only one" she advised, but he downed them both anyway.

"Man this was a weird day" Theo said and Draco agreed. Both sat down on the couch, exhausted. The doorbell rang. "You invite anyone Harry?" Theo asked raising an eyebrow. Harry shook his head. "Draco?"

"I didn't invite a soul!" he assured Theo. While this happened Harry had already gotten up to get the door.

He reached the door and pulled it open slowly. There before him was a sight he would remember for a long time.

Aliss stood on the other end of the door, burned in various places and her head still slightly on fire. He eyes were full of grief as she stumbled into his arms and began to cry.


	24. Christmas day

Chapter 22

**Chapter 23**

"Damn it Aliss, what happened?" he asked urged as her weight began to burden him. She didn't answer, but continued to cry. Harry carried her to the sofa and conjured a bucket of cold water. "Bloody hell, Aliss stay with us" he muttered to her softly.

"Who was- oh, hell" Draco said, noticing why exactly Harry was on the couch.

Harry grabbed a fistful of water and threw it at Aliss' face to keep her awake. It was dissolved before it made contact. The burns on the girl's body sizzled. "What the fuck?" Harry thought aloud.

"Harry, it's fiendfyre" Draco called from the background. Harry looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're kidding!" he said in disbelief, before returning to the problem at hand. "Then I'll just heal this the magical way" he said before drawing his wand. He closed his eyes and waved his wand over the Gryffindor's prone body. The healing sphere he had been working on sprang from his wand and encompassed Aliss. The wounds began to close. Harry smiled. "Piece of cake" he said cockily. Draco however gulped nervously.

"Harry, take another look" he said meekly. Harry turned and saw a horrific sight. The burns had chewed through the newly healed skin and once again were prominent on Aliss' body.

"Damn this all to hell" Harry exclaimed. "What the hell do I do?" he asked frantically. He could do any transfiguration, solve any equation, even create a charm at whim, but give put him in a hospital to heal people magically, and he would be at a loss.

"What's going on?" Daphne asked marching into the room with Theo in tow. "What the hell happened to her?" she asked, noticing Aliss' body on the couch.

"Not sure yet, only know that it's something to do with fiendfyre" Harry told her, still deep in thought. "Know anything about it?"

"It's one of the most volatile substances ever. No one can truly control it as of date. Legends say that only the Draconic chimera had the power to naturally control it" Theo said from behind Daphne. "In short, healing it immediately is not an option"

Harry looked at him pensively. "So the substance is meant to kill?" he asked and Theo nodded.

"Most people who use it intend to kill. That's why it's considered dark. No one has any control over it, and therefore it can only be used for destructive purposes" Theo informed him. Harry sighed.

"It can't be helped then" he said to, himself. "Let's see what we can do" he said to himself. "Conflamus incac rotus" he intoned. Bandages wrapped around each of the wounds on the girl's body and tightened. Draco, Daphne and Theo watched amazed at Harry's ability to think.

"Why aren't the bandages burning?" Daphne asked curiously.

"I made them fireproof. Anything less than dumping them in a volcano won't burn them" he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "My own invention" he added, with more than a hint of pride.

"Brilliant" was all Theo could say.

"She gunna be okay?" Draco asked, looking at the teen lying unconscious on the couch. "When did she pass out anyway?" he asked.

"Right after I healed her and the burns broke out again. Must have been painful" Harry mused.

"Damn, it's getting late" Daphne said checking her watch. "I'm going to head up to bed" she said moving towards the stairs. "Shall I set up the guest bedroom?" she asked Harry.

"Nah, if we need it, I'll take care of it" Harry told her. "You guys get some sleep too. It's been a long day for all of us" Harry said and the other two couldn't help but agree.

"Goodnight Harry" Theo yawned. "Draco"

"Night Theo" both boys answered as they watched him head up the stairs. Draco turned to Harry.

"I'm going to bed too. You coming?" he asked heading towards the stairs.

"Nah, I think I'll stay down here for a while" he said and Draco nodded in understanding.

Seconds after Draco had left, Harry plopped down on the couch, exhausted. His adrenaline rush had finally run out and the events of the day had caught up to him.

Aliss moved in her sleep, closer to him. He put her head on his lap laid his own on the top of the couch. Within seconds, he was asleep.

The next morning came with all deliberate speed. He woke up to feel a weight on his lap. Aliss had not woken up. He rubbed his eyes and raised his left hand to check the time. It was only six in the morn, but Christmas day nonetheless. Aliss began to stir and slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, the usual luster in them missing.

Harry looked down at her and their eyes met. "Morning" he greeted.

"Morning" she replied. "You stay here all night?" she asked and he nodded. "Thanks" she said, emotion banished from her voice.

"You were pretty banged up last night" Harry said casually,

"Yeah" she responded.

"What happened?"

"Nothing"

"Didn't seem like nothing" he pressed.

"I don't want to talk about it" she said, looking away from him, her head still in his lap.

"I know, but it'll help" he promised and she sighed.

"I don't care" she responded childishly.

"Aliss, stop being a baby and tell me what the hell happened" Harry said, losing his patience. She remained silent. "If you don't tell me, it'll eat you up on the inside" he warned and she sighed in defeat.

"Death eaters came to my house last night" she said to him. The corners of her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "I wasn't home" she added slowly. A tear slid down her left cheek. "I was buying some things for my mother. I came home, thinking about how great it would be to spend time with my family, when I noticed our house was on fire. The dark mark was floating over it, like a rain cloud. I dropped what I was holding and ran towards it, hoping my parents had gotten out. I found them, in their bedroom. Both had heavy cuts on their bodies. The room looked like it had been ransacked. I tried to get them out, I did, but my mother refused. Instead, she gave me this pendant" Aliss sobbed out. She pulled the pendant out and held it to her chest.

The pendant was a simple golden tear, on a white gold chain. Simple yet elegant. But why give this to someone at one's dying moment? "She say anything else?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, she did. She told me to keep it safe. They were looking for something, and they found it" Aliss said. "The last words she got out were 'the death eaters, they found…' and then her body went limp. She's gone Harry! And daddy too!" she sobbed out. Harry held her face close to him and began to stroke her back, soothing her with kind words.

"It'll be all right" he whispered over and over to her. "Shh… it'll be okay" he repeated. "They wouldn't want you to cry over them" he whispered, trying to calm the flustered girl.

"They're gone Harry, gone!" she exclaimed between sobs. And Harry pulled her closer.

"Yes, they are. They went down bravely though. They went down the way they wanted to be remembered, as heroes. You shouldn't cry over them, but rather look up to them" he told her.

"You think so?" she asked him and he nodded.

"It's going to be fine Al, I promise" he whispered, and he meant it. "Listen, why don't you go upstairs and take a shower and we'll get ready for Christmas" he asked and she nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"But I have nothing to wear" she said, her eyes widening in realization.

"I'm sure Daphne will lend you something" Harry told her. "Now come on, go freshen up" he prompted. She turned to leave but turned back right before ascending the first step. She ran towards Harry and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thanks Harry, for everything" she whispered and he rubbed her back, comforting her.

After having explained the situation to the other three and getting Aliss something to wear, the five gathered in the kitchen.

"Aliss, you know you can stay with us as long as you like" Harry said and Draco, Theo and Daphne nodded their agreement. Aliss blushed and looked down.

"Thank you all, you've been great and allowing me to stay even a week in incredibly generous. I really can't impose. I'll have bought a small flat by next week moved in too" she told them. "I'll come visit as often as I can though" she promised and Harry smiled.

"If that is what you truly want" Harry replied.

"Alright guys, why don't we retire to the living room?" Draco asked, rubbing his hands together. "I could really use a nice war, fire" he added, shivering slightly. Theo, Draco and Daphne moved out of the kitchen. As Harry turned to follow, Aliss stopped him.

"I was looking for you in your room today" she stated and he looked at her strangely.

"And?" he asked, confused.

"I found this" she said, pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket. It was the letter from his parents. Harry snatched it away from her and shoved it into his pocket.

"What's your point?" he asked irritably.

"Harry, listen to me. Don't do this, or you'll regret it. These times, they're dangerous. If your parents die tomorrow, you'll be full of regrets. Do you want to remember your last moments with them were sent fighting? Harry go, spend Christmas with them. Hell, at least visit them!" Aliss coaxed.

"Aliss, this is none of your business" he warned her and she looked slightly hurt.

"Yes, it is. You did me a favor, and I feel I should do you one too. My parents _died _last night Harry. I'm never going to see them again! You may act like you hate them, but you and I both know that's bull. No matter what you tell them, you love them whether you like it or not" she said, hoping to persuade him. "Please, go visit them today. One minute will make their day" she promised and turned. "The decision you make is entirely up to you, but remember, there's still time to do the right thing" she warned.

As she left, Harry looked towards the floor, contemplating what he had just heard.

**A/N: SO what do you guys think? I know, it's been a while, but I'm back to typing stuff up. This chapter came totally out of the blue, but it just felt right. **

**What does everyone think? Will Harry go visit his parents, or will he give them the finger? What is the significance of Aliss' pendant? **

**Also, I have a poll in my profile. Who do you guys think will snuff it in the story? Tell me and I'll see if you guessed right. **

**Anyway, I'm going to wrap this up, grab a stella dora cookie and hit the sack. Goodnight FFN!**


	25. An interesting rendezvous

Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**A/N: IMPORTANT!! READ THIS!!**

**Okay, to tell you the truth, not much was scheduled to happen through the rest of Harry's year at Hogwarts, so I decided to fit all the events of the rest of seventh year into one long chapter. (Then I got lazy)**

**Why you ask? Frankly, I have so much planned for AFTER Hogwarts, that I feel that I have to get on with it. So, as Truman used to say, The Fluff stops here (or was it the buck?)**

**So read on and if anyone wants me to go into details, I might do a side story… Onward!**

Christmas day carried on as usual. Despite advice from Aliss and Sirius, Harry had decided against visiting his family. He was in a good mood and had no desire to ruin it.

After Christmas vacation, the ride to Hogwarts was slightly eventful, but not overly so. Harry and his friends found a compartment as soon as the train set itself in motion. Not five minutes later, Thomas and Weasley barged into the compartment. Weasley seemed on the verge of making a snide remark, but was stopped by Thomas.

"Harry can I talk to you a minute?" He asked, effectively stopping Ron from being extremely stupid and starting a commotion.

"Yes" Harry simply said. "What about?"

"Outside if you will?" Thomas asked nervously. Harry turned to his friends.

"Right, I'll be right back" he said before getting up and closing the compartment door behind him. Once out in the hall, he motioned to Weasley. "Hey Weasley, go somewhere else. Private conversation going on and all" Harry said to Weasley who immediately turned red. It was so amusing to see Weasley rise to the small bait.

"How do I know you won't try anything?" he asked Harry condescendingly. "After all, snakes like you can't be trusted can they?" Harry sighed.

"Your choice Weasley; _repulso magnus!" _He said taking out his wand. Weasley went flying to the other end of the train. "That's better, you were saying?" he asked turning back to Thomas.

"Was that really necessary?" Thomas asked raising angrily.

"What? Weasley was being annoying" Harry began, but Thomas cut him off.

"Not Ron, he was being slightly ass-like. Did you have to move out on such cold terms? Mum hasn't stopped crying since you left. Ruined Christmas. Dad just keeps sulking about. Hell, even Sirius seems slightly depressed! Why the fuck would you do that Harry? Maybe Ron was right, you are turning into a slimy jackass" he said, nostrils flaring.

"I don't give a flying fuck what you think" Harry responded in a whisper. He was pissed off completely, hence the swearing. "You have no fucking right to judge what the hell I do! I'm a damn adult, and thereby can make my own decisions without uninformed fuckers like you influencing me!" Harry said coldly. "For all I care, dear mother and father can go to hell" he added before re-entering his own compartment. Thomas stared, dumfounded at the door before turning back for his own compartment.

"So, what was that about?" Draco asked awkwardly as Harry reclaimed his seat.

"Jackass" was all Harry said in response. The rest of the ride was uneventful for the most part. Finally, the train lurched to a gentle stop and the occupants piled out.

Harry claimed his usual seat at the Slytherin table and minutes later, Dumbledore's speech commenced.

"Welcome back for another term at Hogwarts" he began, and the crowd went silent. "Before we eat, I have a few announcements to make. First off, the representatives for each house have been chosen. They are as follow. For Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan. For Ravenclaw, Terry Boot, For Slytherin, Harry Potter and for Gryffindor, Thomas Potter" he said and each house cheered for its champion. Dumbledore raised a hand to settle everyone down. "I have grave news as well. Because of the dangerous conditions in the area, all Hogsmeade visits are hereby canceled" This was met with immediate protests. "There will be NO further discussion of this, our decision is final" Dumbledore added firmly. "Now, I wish you all a good feast" Dumbledore finished with a wave of his hand.

Harry began piling heaps of food onto his plate. He wasn't too great a cook, therefore the food over the vacation was not close to the food at Hogwarts. Needless to say, he was yearning for tasty food.

After the feast, the days flew by. There were five challenges that each champion had to face, one each January to February and three in March. The one in January consisted of a simple task. The challenged was to hunt for certain potion ingredients within a week's time. The scores were given based on time taken to gather the ingredients. Harry finished fastest, earning him a full score of 4. A day later, Thomas finished, scoring a three. Boot and Macmillan finished two days later, the latter a mere hour earlier than the former.

February bought a more difficult task- fighting off one of Hagrid's newest cross-breeds. This one was a puppy that looked as if it was on steroids and was cross bred with a dragon. Was it mentioned it could breathe fire? The task was to simply subdue it. Harry finished only seconds after Thomas and again the scores were given as such. Harry and Thomas were tied for first while Boot and Macmillan were tied for third. The battle raged on.

The first task in March was fairly boring. Simply put, the first person to brew a potion correctly would win. With Snape cracking his knuckles menacingly in the background, Harry had no choice but to finish first. Surprisingly enough, Macmillan was second and Thomas third.

The second task was part one of the final task. In other words, the first round of a dueling tournament; everyone was interested in who would win. It was brought about that the first place and fourth place champions would duel as would the second and third. The winners of that round would proceed to fight in the final round.

"So Harry, nervous about taking on Macmillan?" Draco asked as the pair walked down to breakfast. Harry snorted snobbishly.

"That pushover? He's a freaking weak piece of crap!" Harry laughed. "Today will be a walk at the beach" Harry said and Draco couldn't help but agree.

"Probably" he said before veering off at the entrance of the great hall. "I'll be at breakfast in a few. I promised to meet up with Hermione before classes" He said and Harry groaned.

"Till when are you going to try to hide that from everyone?" Harry asked. So far as he knew, not even Ron or Thomas knew about Draco and Hermione.

"Till… later" Draco answered. "What's it to you?" he asked Harry.

"Nothing" Harry said, raising his hands in mock defeat. "Nothing at all. I'll see you in a few" he said before turning into the great hall. Taking a seat near the other seventh years, he grabbed a muffin and began to eat slowly. The duel was in exactly three hours, at twelve noon. He had three hours to do whatever he wanted. He got up and decided to pay a visit to an old friend.

Three hours later, Harry was standing on a small scaffold on one end of the great hall waiting for his opponent. He looked around and saw that few had made it a point of attending the match. Only a select few Hufflepuff and about ten Slytherins had bothered to show up. No matter, Harry didn't plan on wasting their time. He was going to end this quickly.

Macmillan came up onto the scaffold, albeit slightly reluctant, and faced Harry. Lucky for the both of them, McGonagall was judging the match.

"Alright you two, I want a clean match. No violent curses or fatal ones. The first to disarm and stun his opponent wins. BEGIN!" The witch called and Macmillan wasted no time in raising his wand. Harry however made no such gesture. He simple gazed into his opponents eyes and focused.

Suddenly, the Hufflepuff dropped his wand and clutched his head, writhing in pain. Harry took this opportunity to hit the boy with a stunner, effectively ending the duel. McGonagall confronted him at once.

"Potter, what did you do to the boy?" she asked frantically.

"Nothing professor, I did absolutely nothing" he said and sidestepped the woman, leaving a very confused old lady behind him.

Once he entered the common room, his eyes sought his three friends, who were sitting near the window. He approached them quietly.

"SO, any reason why none of you showed up to my duel?" he asked, making all three jump.

"Harry, you almost gave me a damn heart attack!" Daphne screeched, clutching her heart.

"And to answer your question, we knew you'd win. What we didn't expect was you would finish the match in less than three minutes" Draco answered.

"Actually, it was a minute and three seconds. Hufflepuffs are weak as hell" he said pulling up a chair. "So what do you three want to do for the rest of the day?" Harry asked.

"Sorry mate, but you're the only one exempt from classes today" Theo reminded. Harry waved him off.

"Bah, class is overrated. Besides, we're out of here soon. Cutting won't hurt will it?" he asked rhetorically.

"But NEWTS-"

"Fuck the NEWTS" Harry said. "They're easy as hell anyway" he waved off the exams as if they were worthless.

"Dunno about you two, but I'm with Harry" Draco said getting up. "How's about a trip to the kitchens?" he asked rubbing his hands together. "I haven't had anything to eat today"

"That would be your own fault" Harry reminded him, causing the blond to blush.

"Shut up" Draco replied, looking away.

&

The next day at dinner, a boy came up to Harry, carrying a note. "This is for you" he mumbled before shoving the paper in Harry's hand and leaving.

Draco leaned over to take a look. "What ya got there?" he asked, spewing bits of food everywhere.

"That's disgusting" Was Harry's only reply. He opened the note to find handwriting he didn't recognize.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Would you care to join me in my office after dinner for a bit of tea and scones? _

_Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. Ice mice are my favorite_

"What the hell?" Theo asked, peering over Harry's shoulder. "Just send a note saying you're not interested" he suggested. Harry snorted.

"I really don't think this is something I can decline" Harry said. "He's just attempting to be polite is all"

"Doesn't seem too polite to me" Draco mumbled and Harry nodded.

"It isn't. It's basically an order in the form of a request. A sheep in wolf's clothing if you will. Besides, this has peaked my interest" he said, smiling. "I think I'm done with dinner" he added, getting up from his seat.

He made his way through the castle and towards the gargoyle's door. "Ice Mice" he said clearly and the statue moved aside revealing a spiraling staircase. Harry hopped on it and made his way up to the headmaster's door.

"Come in Mr. Potter" Dumbledore's voice rang from the other side of the door. The door swung open of its own accord, allowing Harry entrance.

"You wanted to see me headmaster?" he asked.

"Yes, I would like to congratulate you on your duel yesterday. It was quite the show" Dumbledore said mildly.

"Listen, I did nothing illegal or dark to Macmillan" Harry began, but Dumbledore put his hand up.

"I realize that Mr. Potter. That is not what I called you here to discuss" he gestured towards the desk. "Please have a seat" he offered and Harry obliged. "Lemon drop?" he offered.

"No thanks" Harry declined. "So what _is _it you wanted to discuss?" he asked. These pleasantries were becoming tedious.

"Yes, the matter at hand is your duel with your brother" he began. Harry nodded for him to continue. "I have noticed the two of you are not as close as can be" he said. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Could we please cut to the chase? If you called me here to tell me the obvious things about my life, then please allow me to cut this short"

"No, no, that is not what I wanted to talk about, but this is merely an introduction to the topic at hand. Please I ask you to hear me out and listen patiently. Listen to my entire argument first, then I promise I will let you have your say" Harry nodded.

"The war, is at a high point. Things are happening now, and I fear that a crucial event is approaching, a point in the war that will be referred to as the climax in history books. Are you following?" Dumbledore asked pausing to make sure the boy before him was paying attention.

"Yes, please continue" Harry prodded, bored out of his mind.

"Very well. As I was saying, I fear that Voldemort will take advantage of this point and reach a new realm of power. In other words, he will start his offensive movements. The only person who can end this war is your brother"

"The chosen one" Harry muttered sarcastically.

"Yes, the chosen one. I believe that he can come out of this war, victorious, and restore peace to Britain. Do you not want peace Harry?" he asked.

"Of course I do" Harry answered, still very bored. "What the hell do you want from me?" he asked in annoyance.

"You see Harry, we have run into a hurdle. Your brother is not very confident. He considers himself weak and unable to succeed. He doesn't think he can beat Voldemort" Dumbledore said, raising his hand to stop Harry's retort. "Rest assured, he needs a confidence boost"

"So what is it you want?" Harry asked, not liking where this was going. Dumbledore smiled.

"I simply wish for your to throw the duel" he said, shocking Harry to the core.

**How was that? I was going to end the school year in this chapter, but this cliffhanger is much better. **

**Yeah, I know, no Aliss in this chapter, but hey, it was more a summary. If anyone wants to know how the other challenges went, I may write a few one shots about them. Anyway, REVIEW!!**

**I'm hungry for reviews!! SO hit that cool little blue button. It's your one way ticket to heaven, nirvana, inner peace, or whatever the hell you want it to be. **

**LOL! I'm feeling hyper today (dunno why). N E way, back to the story. How was it? **

**After this, the last chapter of Hogwarts and finally the real story begins! That may actually make this story much more interesting. Good night and don't forget the R word!!**


	26. The Duel

Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Excuse me?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You heard me Mr. Potter" Dumbledore responded calmly.

"I'm sorry, I must have heard incorrectly. Did you just ask me to throw the duel?" he asked, making a show of cleaning out his ears.

"Yes, I believe I did" Dumbledore answered as if he hadn't just asked Harry to do something borderline illegal.

"And why would I consider doing this?" Harry asked.

"Because it would be for the greater good" Dumbledore answered as if that explained everything. Harry snorted.

"I don't give a rat's ass about the greater good" he responded to the old man. "So you can take you greater good and shove it up you ass" he said dryly.

"Language my boy, language" Dumbledore chided.

"You're one to talk! You're trying to fix a fucking duel! That was illegal last time I checked" Harry pointed out and Dumbledore sighed.

"A means to an end my boy. No harm will come of it if the duel is fixed. There are no bets on the matches" Dumbledore retorted.

"Bets or not, the head of the damned Wizengamot is trying to break the law. How bloody corrupt has the government become" Harry asked rhetorically.

"This isn't about me Mr. Potter, it is about you. Will you agree to throw the duel or not?" Dumbledore asked, his demeanor unchanged.

"Why the fuck would I do that?" Harry asked calmly.

"For the gre-" Dumbledore began, but Harry cut him off.

"Didn't we just go over the fact that I don't care about this fucking greater good shit?" Harry asked, annoyed. This old codger didn't know how to take a hint.

"The may I offer you an incentive?" he asked

"No" Harry answered simply.

"No? What do you mean no?" Dumbledore asked in a grandfatherly voice. This façade was starting to piss Harry off.

"I mean that you can go fuck yourself!" he screamed at the old man. Dumbledore sighed.

"Surely there must be something you want" Dumbledore prodded, ignoring Harry's last statement. "Surely there is something I can give you to change your mind?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.

"Actually, yeah there is" he said and Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle with joy.

"What my boy, what is it?" he asked, borderline excited.

"I want… you to drop dead" Harry said, pausing for dramatic effect. Dumbledore's eyes stopped twinkling. "If you are so dedicated to the greater good, let's see if you're willing to give your life for it"

"Harry, please listen to me. What will you gain from this petty match? There is no money at stake" Dumbledore asked. It seemed he was growing tired of Harry's antics.

"My pride and honor is at stake" He simply said turning his back to Dumbledore. "My dignity is all I have, and I won't let the greater good take that away from me" Harry told him with heavy conviction in his voice

Dumbledore sighed, "Very well my boy, I only leave you with these words. Think about it" With those words, Harry began to feel very differently.

-

"So, what did Dumbledore want?" Draco asked as he joined his friends in the heads' common room.

"Nothing at all" Harry responded. No one pressed him for answers.

"Well, either of you finish with your NEWT projects yet?" Daphne asked, breaking the awkward silence that had ensued after Harry's answer.

"I finished my transfiguration one" Theo piped up. "It was damned difficult too. I better get an O for all that effort" he muttered.

"Yeah, I got my potion's project done too" Draco said. "It wasn't too difficult"

"What about you Harry?" Daphne asked turning to the green eyed boy.

"I finished them all" he informed his friends who were shocked.

"You finished FIVE of these projects?" Theo asked in disbelief. "That's crazy!" he exclaimed and the other two agreed.

"Nah, it's not that bad. I used the same one for charms and arithmancy, and transfiguration was really easy. As for runes, that's a cakewalk and potions was as Draco put it 'not that difficult'" he said ticking them off on his fingers.

"Runes a cakewalk? 'Mione said that she still hasn't finished hers because it was so damn difficult!" Draco exclaimed. "You have got to be the only person in this damned castle who's already finished his NEWT projects, not to mention the only one who actually did FIVE!!"

"Hey, the more I do, the better my grade" Harry pointed out. "You guys ready to head to dinner?" he asked and they nodded, getting up.

After dinner, Harry sat in the head dorms reading a novel. The door swung open to reveal Aliss. Harry put down his novel and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch.

"So how's it going?" he asked as she took a seat.

"It's fine" she responded. "All the legal stuff is finally out of the way and their wills are going to be read next week" she told him and he pulled her into a hug.

"You okay with that?" he asked as she began to sob.

"I don't know. I mean they're dead and all, but it feels weird to enter their vaults without them" she said. "The will makes it feel much realer" she sobbed into his shoulder and he began to stroke her hair.

"It's okay, you just need time to heal. It'll be fine" he said soothingly. It sounded lame even to him.

"NO, it won't!" She scream-sobbed into him. "This is the last thing to remind me of them!" she sobbed and Harry was at a loss as to what to say.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked hesitantly. She looked up at him gratefully.

"Could you please?" she asked, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Yeah, I could" he answered and she hugged him.

"Thanks Harry" she said.

-

The day of the final duel arrived. It was the day Harry pulled on his favorite wardrobe and had a second helping of pancakes. Why? Because he was very, very happy that the day finally arrived where he could destroy Thomas without being threatened with detention, suspension or expulsion.

"Harry, you have to be on the scaffold in ten minutes" Draco reminded his friend, drawing him out of his blissful reverie.

"Shit! I gotta go! You guys gunna stick around and watch?" he asked getting up. Theo shook his head.

"Daph promised to help me on my magical creatures project" he said. "It's not like we don't know what's going to happen" he pointed out and Harry shrugged.

"Suit yourselves. What about you Draco?" he asked turning to the blond.

"Wouldn't miss it for anything" he promised. "Besides, Hermione will be there so I have no better place to be" he said shrugging. Harry cuffed him on his head and made his way to the scaffold that had been erected in the great hall. It was nearly the size of 2 tennis courts lined up side by side.

Harry climbed onto one end of the long arena as he watched Thomas do the same on the other. They both faced each other and Dumbledore took the stage.

"I would like to congratulate both of you for making it this far. I expect a clean duel from the both of you. Now, may the best man win" he said. As he finished his last statement, he looked into Harry's eyes and Harry could have sworn he saw the man's wand twitch slightly. Then it dawned. Dumbledore would be the referee for the duel!

"Motherfucker" he cursed under his breath. Surely the man wouldn't be fool enough to try something here? But then again, Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in Britain. A stunner from Thomas broke Harry out of his thoughts. He jumped to the side and mover towards the center of the arena as he saw Thomas do the same.

The two began to circle the field, Thomas firing off harmless spells at Harry who dodged them effortlessly.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do this" Harry hissed to Thomas. The brothers looked into each other's eyes. For the first time, Harry saw animosity in his brother's eyes.

"Diffindo!" Thomas yelled firing off a cutting hex. Harry made to jump out of the way, but he was too slow. The curse grazed his left forearm and a droplet of blood fell to the floor.

Harry began to take the offensive, firing hex after hex silently at his brother, who dodged most of them. This was becoming very tedious.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry screamed in frustration, his aim true. It struck his brother on the leg, causing Thomas to stop moving, clutching his ankle. Harry smiled cruelly. "I've been waiting to try out a few new hexes" he said evilly to the boy on the ground. "Infernus compulso" he whispered and his brother's wound lit on fire.

Thomas screamed out in pain, clutching his burning foot, rolling around on the cold floor. "INCARCERUS!" he screamed, still in pain. Harry moved out of the way.

"Not this time Tommy boy. This is my win" Harry said sheathing his wand. He had no need for it anymore. Slowly he walked over to Thomas and kicked him in the stomach. He keeled over like a dog, clutching his stomach in pain. Harry took the opportunity to step on the boy's wrist, listening for a satisfying snap.

Thomas' wand rolled out of his hand and fell to the ground. Harry took the opportunity to deliver several more blows to Thomas' head. People from the crowd were finally starting to react.

"Stop it! Please stop!" he heard Ginny Weasley yell from the crowd.

"Harry, stop!" he head Hermione yell. Draco remained silent, unsure whose side to choose. Weasley surprisingly had nothing to say.

"What do you say Thomas? Shall I end it?" Harry asked, pulling out his wand. He took a step towards his motionless brother. It was then he noticed something was wrong. His steps were labored and took way too much effort to take. "Oh fuck" he said before he surrendered himself to the darkness.

**A/N: There, took a while but I finally got it out. SAT IIs in a few hours, so I had a hard time finding the time to write this chapter. Anyway, how was it? **

**I put a small glimpse of Aliss into the chapter (yes, she's still grieving a bit) because you guys missed her last chapter. SO any speculation as to what happened? **

**This was the way the duel was supposed to turn out, I planned it for ages. Hope it came out right, as the next chapter will be quite weird, but it'll make sense later. **

**So, I hope you all take the time to REVIEW!! It's that little button on the bottom left, above the advertisement. Come on click it and leave me a little feedback plz?? I was extremely happy with the reviews from the last chapter.**

**So, don't forget to review!! BB**


	27. The Awakening

Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Harry awoke on a hard bed in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that there was a distinct lack of light around him. His back was slightly sore and his left arm was asleep.

He moved to get his glasses off his bedside table. "Tempus" he muttered, flicking his wand upward. It was nine in the evening. He had been out for a few hours. It all came back to him. The duel, the vindictive feeling and the weird knockout; it all came back into focus.

Checking to see if a maniacal nurse was nearby, he slipped towards her office. The door was slightly ajar. Voices were leaking through the door.

"… wrong with him?" he heard Daphne ask through the cracks. A small lantern was all that lit the office of the room. As he neared the door, four the light from the lantern showed four shadows, one of them facing the other three.

"No dear, I'm sorry. Nothing is showing up on my scans. According the tests, nothing is wrong with him" a voice that sounded like Madam Pomfrey's responded.

"People don't just faint in the middle of duels without being hit by spells do they?" Draco asserted. "Something is definitely wrong with him!"

"Mr. Malfoy! I assure you that I am doing everything I can to find any abnormalities in his system" the nurse defended. "Was he eating and sleeping properly?" she asked after a few seconds. This time Theo took the liberty of responding.

"I think so. We haven't really been hanging around him as much. None of us has really had the incentive or the window to monitor him" he admitted. His voice sounded slightly embarrassed to Harry, but he couldn't tell for sure. He decided to step inside for himself.

He stepped into the office silently, like a shadow, unnoticed by the original occupants of the room.

"Do you know when he'll wake up?" Draco asked the mediwitch. She sighed.

"I can't say. It could be in a day, a week, a month or even…" she began but was cut off.

"Or even now" Harry said, bringing attention to himself.

"Harry!" Daphne screeched and launched herself at him.

"Oof! Dammit Daph, just woke up" he reminded the witch as she loosened her grip and apologized.

"Wow, finally awake eh?" Theo asked moving to give Harry a one armed hug. "Took you a while"

"Yeah it did" Draco added, making a move to greet his friend. "Any idea why you fainted?" he asked and Harry huffed in indignation.

"I did NOT faint. I was simply rendered unconscious" He said regally. Then his expression darkened. "I have a slight notion as to what happened to me. I'll confirm it tomorrow" he promised.

!#&()

The next day at breakfast, an owl dropped a note in Harry's breakfast. Cursing the damned bird, he took the note and flipped it open.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_  
Please stop by my office today after breakfast. I have notified your professors that you will not be attending class today due to your condition. Thank you for complying._

_Esteemed headmaster of Hogwarts,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. The password has not changed _

Harry felt enraged that the old man would still have the audacity to send him a note after their last conversation. Draco leaned over just as Harry folded the note and burned it with a combustion charm.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked. Not much would get Harry so angry.

"Dumbledore" Harry said as if it explained everything. Conveniently enough, it did.

**A/N: I know it's extremely, superbly short, but I'll put another one up tomorrow. I am not abandoning this story (unless the reviews stop coming) or anything such. I will be putting it on hiatus for like a few weeks because I have exam upon exam. So maybe it'll be a little while till I update.  
**

**Actually, to be fair, I'll put another chapter up again tomorrow. It will be much longer than this one; that I promise. This and that were a single chapter, but I split them for the sake of my convenience. **

**Anyway, review, review, did I mention review? **

**What did you think of this chapter? Any ideas on what may go on next? I told you it'll be a bit unorthodox, but it helps my story. **

**Yeah, so next time:**

**Dumbledore's Decision. Stay tuned or face the consequences**

**I'll tell you what those are in the next chapter. If you want to know, log in soon. **

**BB and GN (bye bye and good night) **


	28. I Got a Proposition for you

Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Harry made his way to the gargoyle, who he gave the password to. The statue sprang aside to make way for the green eyed boy. As he entered the office, his robes billowed, behind him. Sweeping into the office, he was greeted by Dumbledore's back.

"Hello Harry, fancy seeing you here" the man said, still facing away from the boy.

"Shut up" Harry said forcefully. He was in no mood for pleasantries.

"Now boy, show some respect for your elders" Phineas Black reprimanded from his portrait.

"I have no respect left for this codger" Harry responded coldly. "For all I care he can go lick my balls"

"That is indeed enough Phineas" Dumbledore agreed, ignoring Harry's statement and turning around to face the boy. "Now, am I right in assuming that you know what happened to you?" Dumbledore asked, his gaze calculating.

"I have an idea" Harry said scornfully. Dumbledore motioned with his hands for Harry to elaborate. "You used some kind of spell or potion on me"

"I am certain your theory goes into more detail than this doesn't it?" Dumbledore asked almost knowingly. Fucking omniscient bastard.

"It does" Harry said and paused for a second. "You slipped me a trigger potion- most likely the Knockout Drought- and added a delay on it. Then, when you motioned for us to begin, you were about to activate it, but didn't. Instead you waited to see how the fight would play out before activating it" Harry speculated.

"That is almost perfect. The only mistake you made was when you voiced that I hesitated. I in fact, did cast the activation spell at that moment. What interested me was the fact that you were able to resist the power of the spell for so long after it was cast. Truly amazing" Dumbledore praised.

Harry tried his best not to blush under the praise. "Thank you" he mumbled before regaining his composure. "But that is not the reason I'm here is it? You fucking went against the law and drugged me! You fixed an official fucking sport and shit!" Harry screamed. Dumbledore had a way of distracting people from their original thoughts. Harry hated to admit it, but the old mad would have made a fine Slytherin.

"So I have" he conceded.

"I have a half a mind to turn you in to the wizengamot right now" Harry threatened, his eyes glinting maliciously.

"Yes, I thought you might say that" Dumbledore admitted, a twinkle in his eye. "But before you make a move for certain, I must press my thoughts. Yesterday, you impressed me. Your magical power is quite strong, almost as powerful as mine. You have a great grasp of the mind as well. You are a powerful Legimens as well" Dumbledore pressed.

"How the hell do you know that?" Harry asked taken aback at the headmaster's knowledge.

"I saw what you did to Mr. Macmillan. I am not called a great wizard for nothing, I assure you Harry. That was the work of a master of the mind" Dumbledore informed the gob smacked teen.

"Where the hell are you going with this?" Harry screamed at Dumbledore. "First you fucking annoy the shit out of me asking me to throw a duel, then the next minute you talk as if you have the upper hand? You can't threaten to throw me in jail for knowing magic!" Harry huffed in anger. "You act so fucking calm when I can throw you in jail whenever the hell I please. If you think you can scare me out of it, then you have more delusions than I thought! What the fuck is your problem?"

"I simply wish to offer you compensation if you will" Dumbledore told him mysteriously.

"What kind of compensation?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I wish to take you in as my student, my apprentice" Dumbledore said, once again catching Harry of guard.

"What the fuck?" Harry said, his anger ebbing away. This was a one-way ticket to power. Dumbledore could teach him things he could learn nowhere else. "What's the catch?"

"My intentions are pure, headmaster's honor. I wish to make up for the incident caused by me" Dumbledore assured him

"And what will I be bound by?" Harry asked the man.

"Nothing at all. This will not be a binding apprenticeship. Instead, I will be bound to pass on all the knowledge I have to you. You will only be with me for two months, and then I believe, you have your own occupation to attend to, am I mistaken?" He asked, once again shocking the teenager.

"How the hell do you know all this?" Harry asked, slightly in awe.

"In time, all secrets will be revealed. Before then, I suggest that we make haste and begin your education" Dumbledore pressed.

"Whoa old man, hold up a second. When did I accept? The offer to throw you in Azkaban still sounds appealing" Harry said smirking evilly.

"If you truly wish to, do it after I teach you. I will not object to you throwing me in jail once you complete your apprenticeship" Dumbledore promised. Harry thought it over.

"Fair enough, but what about my classes?" he asked.

"You may be excused from them as long as you can cope with your NEWTs. I am told you are exceptionally bright anyway" Dumbledore answered. "We will begin tomorrow, please arrive at seven sharp"

As Harry turned to go, he remembered something. "Whatever happened to your plans? Didn't I totally screw them over?" Harry asked curiously.

"Actually you didn't. Due to your seemingly ominous fainting, I was able to convince Thomas that he has a special ability that will show itself when his life is threatened" Dumbledore said. Harry wasn't exactly sure what to make of this information.

"You know I still hate you right?" Harry asked the codger. This meeting had totally gone a different direction than Harry had planned.

"Hopefully, that will change in time Harry" Dumbledore said before dismissing the boy. "Now off you go then" he said merrily as Harry left the office thinking about what the hell just happened. When did he go from strict hater of Dumbledore to his apprentice? The world may never know…

_Back in the Head common rooms_

"So what did dumbles want?" Aliss asked Harry. The two were sitting on the couch near the fire talking.

"He took me in as his apprentice" Harry said

"How the hell did that happen?" Aliss asked shocked. "Just before dinner, you kept talking about what a jackass he is and how you would love to tell him to go screw himself"

"I don't know, although I did tell him to lick my balls" Harry admitted. Aliss gaped at him in shock.

"You didn't!" She screeched. "That is brilliant! Not many people can say they told one of the strongest wizards to date to lick their balls and lived to tell the tale" she added and they both ended up laughing.

Just then the door flew open and a very frantic Hermione came in through the door.

"Harry! Theo's been hurt! Draco sent me to get you!"

**A/N: A bit longer, although could be longer I guess. So kind of a small cliffhanger, but you'll live. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, try NOT to Flame me totally. **

**Yeah, it was a tad unorthodox, but it fits into the plot well and I tried my best to make it seem realistic. Was it realistic? I couldn't tell since I can't read objectively. **

**Anyway, need I ask you to kindly…**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

**REVIEW!!**

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And …………………

**REVIEW!!**


	29. What's Going On?

Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

June 6: a few months later… 

Harry made his way to the headmaster's office mulling over the events of the past few months. Each day, he had been given class time off to go and study with the Headmaster. Steadily, he learned new and interesting things, most of which would come in handy during his new job.

As he walked up the stairs to the headmaster's office, he couldn't help but smile. His time at Hogwarts was finally coming to a close. No longer would he be a simple schoolboy, but an independent person. It filled his heart with joy, but made him feel somewhat sad as well. It was the end of an era, but the beginning of a new age at the same time. Harry's thoughts were interrupted as he was greeted by Dumbledore, who was looking rather pale.

"Hello my boy, please come in" the wizened wizard said, gesturing to his desk. "How have you been doing?"

"Cut the small talk old man and get to what you really want to ask" Harry said pointedly. He was in no mood to play games with the wise man.

"Very acute observation Harry. How has your mind training been coming along?" He asked in a grandfatherly tone. While Dumbledore was a master in the mind arts, he rarely used them as they seemed too invasive. Albeit quite reluctantly, he has agreed to pass on his skills to Harry, who showed extreme promise in the art.

"As well as it can. I can do basic things that the book you gave me described. The finer points escape me, but I have had little time and patience to practice" Harry admitted. He had found that the truth was more helpful than lies when it came to Dumbledore. That and the fact that the man could tell when he was being lied to.

"I see" Dumbledore said stroking his beard. Harry wondered if that was the reason the man had grown it.

As the man mulled over something in his head, Harry turned to glance at the trinkets that were placed around the office. As he looked around the now familiar room, a new trinket caught his eye. It was a miniature castle made of gold, with four towers, a flag waving over ear one. The flags were colored red, yellow, blue and black, and waved in a nonexistent breeze. As Harry was about to turn away from the trinket, it began to move. The red flag began to glow and rise slowly from its place until it was levitating a foot above the tower.

"Professor, what does that castle thing do?" Harry asked in a slightly shaky voice. Dumbledore immediately opened his eyes and turned towards the castle. As he saw the flag, his eyes widened in what seemed like terror. It was the first time Harry had seen the man even fazed by anything. Whatever had caused the castle to activate must have been extremely devastating for the normally nonchalant professor to be so terrified by. While Harry was thinking these thoughts, Dumbledore had gone to his desk and take out a few items from his drawer.

As he made his way back to Harry, the boy caught a glimpse of the items.

"Harry listen to me and listen well. I need you to take these items and get to your dorm. Stay there until a professor allows you to leave. Under no circumstances are you to do anything else, understood?" Dumbledore ordered, and his voice was so firm and full of far, that Harry daren't disobey.

"Y-yes sir" Harry said, his voice shaky. "What is going on?" he asked, before he left.

"Something terrible" Dumbledore replied, the twinkle gone from his eye. "Something terrible Harry" Dumbledore reached into his robe and pulled out a small vial. "Drink this, it'll help" He told Harry as he threw the vial to the boy. Harry nodded in recognition and downed the vial before leaving

Something was obviously afoot, but Harry had no time to ponder what. As he made his way out of the headmaster's room, a giant piece of debris fell to the ground, narrowly missing Harry by the skin of his teeth. Unfazed by the near-hit, Harry kept walking toward his goal, increasing his speed.

He made his way as fast as he could to the head common room, giving the portrait strict orders to open only when a teacher arrived. Inside the room he found Draco, Hermione and Aliss. Noticing the strange look on Harry's face, Draco spoke first.

"What's wrong mate?" he asked getting up and walking towards Harry.

"Something is going on inside the castle, something bad" Harry said, his voice grim.

"Well, what the hell are we doing here? Let's go check it out" Draco said, his wand already in his hand. Harry pushed his hand out to stop him as he made to move towards the door.

"No, Dumbledore told me to keep the door locked until a teacher comes" Harry said before turning to Hermione. "Inform the other common rooms to do the same. Use the floo" Harry told her and she snapped to it.

"Why are you so insistent about Dumbledore's orders? You never seemed so keen on him before" Draco asked

"That was different, this is serious. Besides he's not a terrible person. Hey, is my laptop here?" he asked, this time the question was directed at Aliss.

"Yeah, it's over here" She said, handing it to him. "What use is that thing now?" She asked, curiously.

"I have a digital version of the Marauders map on here. It should tell us what the hell is going on in this place" Harry said, pulling up the map. "And here" he said hitting the final key. The map sprang to life, showing most of the halls of Hogwarts. There was however, this one giant black spot on the map. The spot was exactly where the great hall should be.

"What the fuck?" Draco asked, looking at the large hole.

"My sentiments exactly" Harry agreed. "Just what is going on in this place?"

**A/N: Yeah, yell at me, I know it's extremely short, but I will post another one within a week, so stay tuned for that. **

**I wanted to kinda leave a slight cliffhanger hear to keep people hanging for a little while. If anyone has any guesses, feel free to post them. Anyway, there will be a character death real soon. Don't know if it's next chapter or not. Wonder who's gunna kick the bucket…**

**Moving on, sorry and stuff about the non updates and all, and I'll try to keep on the ball from now on. **

**All thoughts and stuff are welcome. Feel free to drop by a review, or two, or ten… your call. **

**Also, a couple of simple things:**

**Firstly, if I spell 'Aliss' as 'Alice' it remains the same in meaning. My Microsoft word enjoys autocorrecting what don't need no autocorrecting. Dang stupid computers… Yeah**

**Secondly, if there are any real spelling mistakes that persist, let me know about them. I haven't had time to edit stuff too much. And if I got a beta, well it would take way too long to get stories posted. **

**Well that's enough, happy reading, and don't forget to review ******


	30. A Good Day to Die

Chapter 30

**Chapter 29**

_Previously:_

_There was a large black spot where the Great Hall used to be._

"_What the fuck?" Draco asked staring at the hole._

"_My sentiments exactly" Harry responded. _

"Why is there a blind spot on your map?" Aliss asked peeking over Harry's shoulder. "I thought that your computer wasn't distorted by magic"

"It isn't" Harry said. "I charmed it perfectly" he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Whatever is going on deliberately is creating a blind spot" he speculated.

"Whatever it is, it has to be something cast by someone powerful" Hermione said, entering the conversation for the first time. Harry turned to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you figure?" he asked curiously. Hermione was taken aback as it was one of the first times Harry had spoken to her civilly.

"Well, since the wards are linked to the Headmaster, someone as powerful or more powerful than Dumbledore had to have cast them" She explained shyly.

"That's a good point Granger" Harry admitted looking back to the computer screen. "Let's see if we can do anything about this annoying thing" Harry said moving his hands around the keyboard hitting keys at an alarming rate. After a few minutes of punching in codes which none of the others could make head or tail of, Harry sighed in frustration.

"Nothing?" Aliss asked in a flat tone. Harry nodded.

"I tried everything to pierce the spell. The damn computer couldn't do anything. It couldn't even identify the damned spell" Harry said disappointed in his creation. Suddenly an idea came to Aliss.

"What if it isn't a spell?" She asked and the other three turned to look at her as if she was insane. "No seriously, what if it's simply a magical object that's blocking reception?" she asked and Harry adopted a pensive expression.

"It is possible. That would explain why the computer can't do anything about it" Harry said muttering to himself. "Well, there's nothing we can do but wait" he said wistfully. "We'll find out soon enough what's going on. Reluctantly, he closed the lid of his laptop and sat back. The only thing left to do was wait and see what happened.

**IN DUMBLEDORES OFFICE: **

Dumbledore watched as Harry took the vial and drank it in one gulp. As soon as he was sure the boy had left, he turned around and tapped the miniature model of Hogwarts with his wand. At once, the castle towers moved outward and the walls of the castle fell to reveal a small version of the entire school. People were moving about their business as usual, only a few aware that something was wrong.

Dumbledore pointed his wand to the stray groups of people and muttered "Mobilus Repus" as he skimmed over them. As the spell was cast on each group, they disappeared with a pop to a safe location in the castle. Sighing, Dumbledore finished casting the last spell and tapped the castle once so that it rebuilt itself.

Suddenly, the office began to shake violently. Dumbledore cursed under his breath for the first time in fifty years as he made his way as fast as he could to the entrance hall.

"Hello Tom" Albus greeted as he saw his old pupil make his way towards him with a maniacal glint in his eyes.

"Dumbledore, just the professor I was looking for" He said evilly.

"What did you come here for Tom" Dumbledore asked, his usual twinkle absent from his eye.

"Now Headmaster, is that any way to greet a guest? One would think that you would invite me in for a drink or offer me some of that muggle candy you are so fond of" Riddle responded coolly.

"I am terribly sorry, but I find myself out of candy. I had planned to go replenish my store, but it seems that is not possible today" Dumbledore said eyeing Riddle carefully. Usually he would flare up at being called 'Tom,' but for some reason the Dark Lord wasn't getting angry.

Both men had unknowingly edged into the great hall during their conversation. "As much as I have enjoyed our conversation, I am going to have to cut it short. You see Dumbledore, today you will die" Tom taunted, pulling out his wand and firing a spell. Dumbledore was ready and pulled up a shield immediately.

"You and you death eaters should not have come Tom" Dumbledore said firmly. "The Aurors are on their way as we speak" He threatened.

"My Death Eaters will take care of them, but we won't be interrupted. Take a look around you" Tom said gesturing around the pair. Dumbledore took a second to notice his surroundings. Instead of the great hall, they were surrounded by a black dome-like barrier. "This barrier is of my own invention. It will only release once one person is left alive- and that person will be me" Riddle said his eyes shining with malice.

"That only time will be able to tell Tom" Dumbledore said firing a spell at his former student. "_Animus Cororeaus" _Dumbledore mumbled and the floor began to unfurl and take the form of a lion. Said Lion charged at Tom Riddle, who simply blasted him to smithereens with a lazy flick of his wand.

Behind the Lion was another spell which Tom blocked with ease. "Is that all you have Dumbledore?" He mocked. "Seems as though the most powerful Wizard in England is well past his prime"

"I wouldn't know about that Tom. You may choose to be less arrogant and more focused" Dumbledore said, not taking the bait Tom was offering.

"_Evangalus Manglio" _Voldemort shouted. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he recognized the dark curse. It made a victim's organ disappear. What was worse was that the organ was picked at random. It was an extremely dark curse.

"What have you come for Tom?" Dumbledore asked amidst the crossfire.

"For your life Dumbledore" Tom responded. "I have finally found a way to destroy you" he said with a crooked smirk.

"I am afraid I cannot allow that Tom" Dumbledore said, although with less conviction than before. He was losing stamina and fast.

"What how will you stop me? By giving me detention?" Tom sneered at the old man. "You see, it was not possible for me to do everything now, so I had a little help so to speak" Voldemort said smiling.

"I had a hired hand sneak a weak poison into your tea one month ago. A poison that should have started to act by now" Voldemort laughed as he fended off spell after spell that the headmaster sent his way. "In about ten minutes more, you won't even be able to stand. Think of it as a game. If I survive the ten minutes, then I win. If you kill me in that time, you win"

"Life and Death are not to be toyed with Tom" Dumbledore said. The poison was kicking in. Voldemort just laughed.

"That's rich, coming from the man who toys with people's lives on a daily basis" Voldemort laughed not even bothering to take his teacher seriously. "We're not so different you and I" Tom said smirking ever so triumphantly over the headmaster.

"I never did anything as vile and treacherous as you Tom" Dumbledore said as his knees buckled beneath him. He was growing weaker by the second.

"According to you what I did was terrible, but put into perspective, you have done equally terrible things. You sent numerous people to their deaths, knowing that they were to die. You sought power before as well did you not?" Voldemort asked with a toothy smile. Dumbledore was shocked.

"W-where did you find these things out?" He asked, the poison draining him.

"I paid your friend Gellert a visit before I came. Poor sod spilled his guts to me before he died. Told me you two wanted to bring the wizarding world into a new generation. You are the same as me. We both have the same dream and are willing to do anything to see it come to life. In fact, you were so desperate that you even killed your own sister" He said and at once he knew he had struck a cord.

"That was different" Dumbledore said doubling over in pain. Voldemort laughed.

"No, you know it wasn't Dumbledore. You and I are the same. But you can die knowing one thing. I am bringing to life the dream you dreamt when you were a child. I am leading the world into a new generation! You can rest knowing that your dream will be fulfilled"

"That wasn't my dream" Dumbledore denied. "That wasn't what I wanted" he said. It seemed as if he was convincing himself. All these suppressed memories and emotions surfaced of the death of Arianna to the first time he met Grindewald. The guilt he felt to this day returned back to him just before he closed his eyes for the final time.

"Goodbye Dumbledore" Voldemort whispered. "_Avada Kedavra" _A green beam flew towards the defenseless old man, ending his life once and for all.

**A/N: Yeah, I was mulling things over. I forgot to tell you guys a few things. First off, I had changed my mind about the Harry/Aliss thing about 12 chapters ago… Yeah, I want the pairing to remain unannounced, but it will NOT be a slash pairing no matter what. Sorry to those who wanted it. **

**Okay, so remember to review… It doesn't take more than a second to do it, so please spare a second of your life and review. **

**Thanks for reading. **


	31. Welcome to the Real World!

Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Harry and his friends continued to wait for a teacher to come and get them. When McGonagall finally showed up, she had a sullen look about her, a look that confirmed the teens' suspicion that something terrible had occurred.

"What happened professor?" Harry asked as all four teens rushed to the exit.

"Is something wrong?" Aliss asked at the same time.

"What happened in the great hall?" Hermione blurted out.

The only response they received was a single tear from McGonagall's left eye.

"I'm afraid that the school currently has no headmaster" she said before turning tail and leaving the three teens to contemplate her words. As the essence of what had been said sunk in, it left the teenagers shocked. Dumbledore was gone.

"He's dead" Harry said needlessly. The other three nodded. "I never thought I would see the day that this happened" he added. Whilst training him, Harry had begun to trust Dumbledore. The old man was a wizard of his word and would keep his secrets. He still never liked the man, but grudgingly respected him.

"Yeah, I know what you mean" Aliss agreed. "After all, he was so powerful and now…" she trailed off.

"How do you think it happened?" Hermione asked.

"I have an idea" Harry muttered back. They all knew exactly what he was talking about.

**(A/N: okay, quick note here. I'm going to skip the funeral and exams. If anyone is really attached to either, review or PM me and I'll make a one-shot about them if anyone is interested)**

**A few weeks later, after Exams:  
**

Harry stood next to his three best friends and looked up to Hogwarts for the last time.

"Finally, after seven years, we are outta here" Draco said smiling at the majestic castle.

"You can say that again!" Theo agreed. "We finally get to leave this miserable hellhole"

"Oh come on Teddy, I wouldn't call it a hellhole" Daphne said calling Theo by the nickname she gave him recently.

"Yeah, we had some good time in this place" Harry reminded them. "But I have to say, no more schoolwork, homework or bitchy teachers. Welcome to the real world" he said gesturing around them.

"Welcome to the real world" the other three repeated, realization having sunk in that they were not kids anymore.

The following few days were filled with stress at the house. Harry was packing to leave for his job in a week while Aliss, Draco, Daphne and Theo were trying to find jobs that they could apply for.

"How does this one look?" Daphne asked holding up a flier. It was for a job in a magical primary school.

"Why the hell would you of all people teach kids?" Draco asked, only to be swatted on the head by the witch. Theo and Aliss laughed.

"Let me see that Daphne" Aliss asked and Daphne obliged. "This isn't bad, and the payoff is quite good. We should both try getting a job here"

"That would be great. The job seems easy enough and a great way to start making some money" Daphne agreed. "Have you two idiots decided on anything?" she asked turning to the two boys.

"Not yet" Theo and Draco chorused while flipping through various brochures.

"Ah, this one looks interesting" Draco said holding up a flier. It advertised for a job in the bar tending business.

"You want to be a bartender?" Daphne asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I thought Slytherin's were supposed to be ambitious" Aliss teased. Draco blushed.

"Shut up. I just don't want a career in the ministry. Besides, I feel secure laying low for a while, you know with all those death eaters around" he reminded everyone. The mood in the room was suddenly a lot less jolly.

"You just want free booze" Harry said to break the silence that enveloped the room. Fortunately it worked and the five of them started to laugh.

"You better not come home pissed every night or else" Daphne warned playfully before turning to Theo. "So what have you decided?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Well, I'm thinking of something a bit… different" Theo said bashfully. Near everyone in the room raised their eyebrow.

"Different how?" Harry asked wondering what was up.

"I want to work as a muggle" he admitted blushing. The occupants of the room looked at each other before breaking into hysterical laughter. Theo turned red. "Hey, shut up! I think it would be a better way to lay low and make a decent sum of money!" he defended.

"You, a pureblood, fit in with muggles?" Harry asked through his chuckles. "That's rich!"

"I can fit in! I'll show the lot of you!" He said angrily.

"Calm down Teddy dear, we were only kidding. I think you'll make a great muggle" Daphne reassured her boyfriend.

"Thanks honey" Theo said taking Daphne to sit on his lap and kissing her full on. Draco coughed conspicuously to remind them they weren't alone.

"Well, if you're all done with this job business, can you help me pack?" Harry asked exasperatedly.

**A few days later…**

"_Hello Harry, it has been a long time" _hissed a voice_. _

"_Yes Isaac, too long" _Harry said coaxing his pet Basilisk out of the shadows_. _

"How have you fared at school?" The snake asked. "I feared the worst when you didn't come to see me immediately after you came back"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn't get away from everyone long enough" Harry apologized sheepishly. "Anyway, I came to tell you that today I'm going to go down to the States for my first day of work. I don't know when I'll be able to come back so I bought you a bit of food" Harry said pulling out a box and enlarging it. The box expanded to the size of a small house.

"Thank you Harry. Tell me one thing before you go. Have you finished your transformation yet?" The snake asked.

"Yes" Harry answered succinctly before taking his leave. "Goodbye" he said before hugging the snake. "I'll see if I can bring you over there somehow" Harry promised, but both snake and man knew that would be fairly improbable.

"Ready to go?" Draco asked as Harry returned to the living room where a fire was already burning.

"Yeah" He responded. "Got my trunk and all right here" he said patting his back pocket.

Daphne engulfed him in a hug. "Don't forget to write to us once in a while. We'll miss you around here" she said and Harry smiled.

"I'll visit as often as I can" he promised.

Aliss was next to hug him. "Stay safe" was the only thing she said to him.

"Sorry, but I'm not hugging you" Theo said playfully. "See you soon" It was more like a question than a statement.

"Yeah mate, don't forget us" Draco added.

"I won't and I'll come back as soon as I can" Harry promised once again. "Well I'm going to be late if I don't get a move on it now. See you guys!" Harry called as he stepped into the floo. The last thing he heard was the four of them yelling 'goodbye' back to him.

He arrived in a regal room filled with furniture made of blue and red velvets. Upon closer inspection, the legs of the chairs, tables and sofas were made of gold. In the room were five very authoritative adults and three people who looked around Harry's age.

One of the older men steps forward. "Right on time you fucker. Didn't think to head out a bit early? Leave room for some error?" the man asked intimidating Harry.

"N-no sir!" Harry answered back and the man smiled, apparently satisfied with his work. Harry was saved when another guy who was Harry's age slipped out of the floo.

"You're late fucker!" the same man hissed to the late arrival.

"Sorry everyone! I didn't mean to, but I was helping a pregnant lady cross a street…" He began.

"Save us the bullshit fucker!" The man yelled to him and he shut up.

"Yes sir" The boy said quietly, looking down.

"Dumbass" A boy next to Harry mumbled. Harry scowled. They guy just barely came in two minutes late. What was the big deal?

"Give the kid a break" Harry whispered to the boy.

"Shut up" The boy said back. Before Harry could respond, the guy spoke up again.

"Alright fuckers, welcome to The Creed. I'm going to be your tour guide this afternoon for Merlin knows what reason. For the benefit of all of you dumbasses, we are in New York at the moment. Our facility is both underground and above ground with a portal connecting the two. Before we go, why don't we introduce ourselves?" he asked the five newbies. "Late fucker, you start!"

"My name is Alan Hooke" he said. Alan had a stringy body with short blond hair. Next the guy pointed to Harry.

"Harry Potter" he answered briefly. Next person was the boy who insulted Alan. He had a figure that matched Harry's and

"My name is Ed Jacobs" he answered sullenly. The next person was a girl who had a petite build and black hair with streaks of bright red.

"The name is Alinga Gray, call me Gray" She said sweetly.

"Great for you 'Gray'" The man said sarcastically. "And who are you?" He asked the last girl who looked rather shy. She was almost as tall as Harry and had blue eyes with brown hair.

"M-my name is Suki White" she said shyly.

"Alright then, now that you fuckers are done telling me your names, why don't we go and look around. Maybe if I'm lucky one of you will die on the way. God I hope it's Gray!" He muttered to them before making his way out.

As the walked out of the building, they noticed that they were in quite a large neighborhood. It was build with skyscrapers and restaurants and anything one would expect in a bustling city. Except for one thing: There seemed to be edges.

"Ah I see you fuckers have noticed that this place is floating in midair. Well, let's all _hope_ that none of you falls down" he said sounding very much like he was hoping for the exact opposite. "The first site on out illustrious tour is the assignment room, or as I like to call it homo-hut. You fuckers will be going there every week for the first six weeks, getting crap assignments that a piss assed two year old could finish. Don't mess those up or else your paycheck will get even smaller than it is now" he warned them "Now when you become of a higher rank, you can visit the bonus board. Whenever you have free time you can take on a private assignment from this board. The reward is written on the bottom right next to the level you need for the task. Right now all of you are ranked green. See that green square, that's where you look for level. Questions?" He asked in a sickly sweet tone.

Gray raised her hand. "Well fuck you!" the guy (who still never gave them his name) said to her before laughing maniacally. "Now, moving onto the housing" he began walking out of the building.

"You guys will all live together in one house. Your number is your address. Owls can't get here, so we'll give you technology to communicate with each other. By the by, before I forget, you guys are all a team. Any assignments you may get will be team assignments. So you fuckers get along now or you'll be screwed for the rest of your miserable term in this place. If you fuckers fuck around during an assignment, you will get your asses kicked out of here or you'll be sent to the chamber of pain, where yours truly here will be able to beat the living shit out of you until you're crying for you whore of a mother" he threatened. "Take it from a man with experience, that place is hell"

After about ten minutes of walking, they finally reached the house which was supposed to be theirs. "Ah alright, here we are. Not a bad place, probably a bit messy, but nice nonetheless. Better than that shit hole I was in my first year. Go inside drop your shit off in the hall and get the fuck out again. Place has six bedrooms, three on each wing and four bathrooms. Comes equipped with a kitchen, potions lab, game room and an empty do-whatever-the-fuck-you-want-with room. Furniture and crap is at the bare minimum, so I suggest you fuckstains start decorating" As soon as he finished speaking, the five trainees went into the house to drop their luggage off and sprinted back out.

"Good, you're all done. Now, we can go so what the retards here do for fun" He said before moving towards the town. "Here we have everything anyone may need. There's a quickie mart run by some immigrant fucker, a coffee shop, sorry fucking brit, but we don't have a fucking tea shop" he said taking a jab at Harry. "Ah, but we do have a sushi bar for the Japanese fuckerette. There's a supermarket, drug store, no not those kind of drugs late fucker, an office supply shop for fucking hardass over there and a few other amenities I'll leave all of you to discover on your own. There are about seventy towns like this one around and eighteen housing structures. You live in structure nine if any of you care. Now comes my favorite part of the tour- the torture chamber" He said and the five looked at each other. This didn't sound to great.

"Right now, get in there and the six professors will tell you what's going on. I trust you fuckers know your way back" he said before taking his leave. "Good luck! You fuckers are so fucked!" he laughed before apparating away.

The other five hesitated, each one waiting for the other four to make a move. Ed was the first to move towards the door pushing it open for the others. Alan was second followed by Harry and the two girls.

The five kids were greeted by a single professor, who was slightly chubby and seemed extremely jolly. "Oh hello there!" he greeted shaking each of their hands. "I'm professor Bumbly. Here at the creed, I research technology used here by our field workers. Today you five will be sitting through a twelve hour class which will be taught by me and five other professors. Come on all of you, take your seats" he said pushing them to the seats along the room.

As they sat down, the professor pulled something out of his bag. It looked like a muggle gun. "Does anyone know what this is?" Thee professor asked. Alan raised his hand.

"A .44 caliber pistol?" he asked the professor. The professor smiled.

"Very good! I see you have some knowledge of muggle weapons" The professor said brightly. "Now, guns are something we issue around here to our fighters. Any ideas why?" he asked. Again Alan volunteered.

"Because bullets cannot be stopped by a magical shield. A shield strong enough to stop a bullet would tire the user drastically" he answered perfectly.

"Very good!" The professor said happily. "Now, do any of you know how to operate a gun?" he asked. Alan was the only one who raised his hand. Ed scoffed.

"How hard can using a gun be?" Ed said arrogantly. "All you do is pull the damned trigger" The professor smiled.

"Then why don't you give it a try?" he offered, giving the gun to Ed. "Shoot that target over there" He pointed to a 10x10 target about fifty feet away.

"Easy" Ed said and shot the gun off. He hit the edge of the target.

"Not as easy as you thought was it now?" The professor asked. Ed shook his head grudgingly. "Shooting is not about if you hit or not. It's about how accurate you are and how much damage you want to do" he told them.

The lesson continued on for two hours, and the professor showed them all kinds of weapons and showed them how to use them. As the lesson neared it's end the professor gave them each a parcel.

"In this parcel is your basic array of weapons for your field work. Don't break them. Any time you run out of ammunition, come to me or anyone in my department. Now, do you have any questions?" the jolly man asked, ready to call it a lesson.

"Professor, what's your weapon of choice?" Alan asked. The professor smiled.

"Excellent question, but alas I haven't touched a weapon in ages. But I am a man of simple tastes. But to a great mind, regardless of weapon, he or she can come out on top" The professor said sagely.

"But you can't kill someone with a leaf" Gray pointed out. The professor laughed.

"To the great mind, a blade of grass is as able to kill as a blade of steel" The professor said mysteriously. "Perhaps someday you will see what I mean"

The next five professors were extremely dull, the second talking about the rules and regulations of the society, the others talking about the politics of society and the history that went with it. One talked about fighting and dodging, but by the ninth hour of the session, all of them were just too tired to comprehend anything. The last one got what was left of their attention though.

"Finally, you idiots have managed to actually get through the first ten hours of this strenuous crash course. Congratulations. Now pay some attention to this because it is vital that you know this shit understood?" the professor asked. The five nodded lamely.

"Good, because I am here to talk to you about torture. Over time, you will raise your rank and advance in society. When you do missions will become intense and some will include getting information out of a person. Most of the time these idiots don't talk and they usually have a good shield around their minds. Even if you penetrate it, you won't be able to stay inside long enough to find what you want. If any of you know Legilimency, I recommend just attacking the mind, pulling forth memories as fast as you can about the most disturbing truths in the mind. Make things up and torture them. When emotionally weak, it is easy to probe the mind"

Basically the entire lesson went on like that, dark and gloomy, Just the way Harry liked it.

**A/N: REVIEWWWWWWWWWWW**

**So how was it? Finally out of school and all that. I know, he didn't dwell on Dumble's death, but who cares? They had a funeral and now its yesterday's news. So anyone have comments or questions? **

**It took me long enough to finally get through that whole Hogwarts arc and into the real heart of the story. Welcome to the first real chapter of "The one in the shadows" hope you enjoyed the start of this era because it gets a lot more actiony and adevetury from here. Sit back relax and enjoy the show, **

**Oh, and btw, the new OCs in this chapter are going to be extremely main characters, especially the five in the team. Anyway don't forget to review!!**

**Later!! Until I type again!!**


	32. New job, new boss

Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Harry sat in his new room unpacking his belongings. It wasn't a big room, but under no circumstances could it be called small. Completely furnished, the room came with a rug, desk, bed, nightstand and closet, all made out of what seemed like oak. It was odd, to be moving into a house with four complete strangers.

His thoughts flashed back to what had happened right after the twelve hour class.

"_So do any of you still remember the way back? That class flushed my brains out" Alan said sheepishly. "It was just sooooo long" he stressed. _

"_Anyone with half a brain could remember simple directions" Ed said stonily. Alan seemed embarrassed, but was saved from answering. _

"_Lay off him will ya?" Gray said, evidently annoyed and most probably tired. "If you know the way, then why don't you lead us back?" she asked him pointedly. He shrugged nonchalantly and began walking. _

_When they arrived back the small room they originally cam in through, they found five people waiting for them. One of the five was the very psychotic tour guide they had. This time a kind looking woman stepped forward. _

"_Alright, now that you are here, you will each be assigned a mentor to 'guide' you. This mentor will be with you for a good two years" she said. "You will be partnered with the person who will be most helpful to you in your time here. Please, each of you place your names inside the fireplace" she said, handing them slips of paper. _

_The fireplace, Harry found, worked very much like the goblet of fire. After the names of each student were placed into the raging flames, each of the 'mentors' reached into the fire and came out with a piece of paper._

And that was how Harry had gotten a twenty-two year old man named Nick for his mentor. Placing his last picture frame of his friends on his nightstand, he made his way out of the door to the living room where everyone was supposed to gather.

When he had first seen it, Harry had loved the living room. It was painted white with a white carpet and furnished with red and black sofas and chairs. In each corner of the room sat one member of his team.

"Sit down" Gray offered, pointing to an empty seat. "I thought it would be nice if we all got better acquainted, seeing as how we'll be living together for a while" Nobody said a word and an eerie silence ensued. "Alright…" she said, but Ed cut her off.

"This is stupid. I'm going upstairs to get some rest. I recommend you idiots do the same" He said, making his way upstairs.

"What a jerk" Gray muttered, fire in her eyes.

"Nah, he's not that bad. He just prefers to be a loner" Alan told them. They all turned to him, surprised.

"How do you know?" Gray asked pointedly.

"Considering we've been friends since we were about seven, I think I'd know him pretty well by now" Alan responded.

"You've been his friend for _ten years_?" Harry exclaimed. "He treats you like total crap!"

"Nah, that's what you guys think. He just doesn't like being all buddy-buddy and stuff. Besides, he doesn't mean anything he says. Those are just the terms of endearment he uses" Alan said. "So where are you guys from?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I'm from England" Harry answered.

"I come from Australia" came from Gray.

"Japan" was the quick and succinct answer that came from the mouth of Suki.

"Me and Ed are from California" Alan added. "Time difference must be hard on you guys, huh?" he asked. And that was basically how the conversation went on.

By the time they finished talking, it was well into the evening and each of them went to their respective beds.

"WAKE UP!!"

Harry sprung out of bed, startled by the sound that had broken his sleep. Looking around, he found an alarm clock had made the noise- an alarm clock with a ribbon on it? On the back was a note

_Dear Harry_

_You are to meet me at the park at six forty five sharp._

_-Nick_

Harry glanced at the clock. It was five thirty. After getting dressed, he made his way down to the kitchen as quietly as he could. No one else seemed to be awake. The quiet was somewhat disturbing. Harry opened the fridge to see if there was anything worth eating.

"You're up early" Someone said from the other side of the fridge door causing Harry to nearly drop the carton of milk he just pulled out.

"Damn! Don't startle me like that!" he whisper-yelled at the intruder who happened to Gray. "And you're up pretty early too"

"I got some note from my mentor" Gray answered nonchalantly. "So… do you know how to cook or something?" she asked almost grudgingly. Harry shrugged.

"Nope" Harry answered looking around for any cereal. "Say, is there any cereal around this place?" he asked and Gray shrugged.

"How would I know? Couldn't even find the utensils" she muttered. It was the first time Harry had heard her actually talk.

"You're muggle born?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"Half blood" she answered.

"That explains it. These here are magical cabinets. You just move the handle around and open it from the other side. Voila, a whole different cabinet!" he said showing her how it worked.

"That is the MOST retarded thing I have ever seen" she screeched. "Are wizards that lazy?" she asked him. Harry just shrugged.

"I think I should get going" he said, looking at his watch. "It's already six fifteen and I have yet to figure out where the hell the park is" Harry said grabbing his wand from the table. The last thing he heard her exclaim before he left was "It's already six fifteen?"

The walk to the park was peaceful and relaxing. The chirping of robins and mockingbirds made the city seem like a small haven.

"You're late" A man Harry recognized as Nick said. Nick was sitting on a rock, his back leaning against a nearby tree and his eyes closed.

"I'm not late" Harry shot back. "It's only six twenty five" he asserted tapping his watch.

Nick smirked a bit. "That's not what my watch says" he told the boy, showing him his own watch. "It's six forty by this" he told Harry, who was currently beginning to get annoyed.

"Well your watch is obviously wrong" Harry told him angrily.

"Tut tut" chided Nick. "Snapping at your teacher" he admonished, although he didn't seem serious about it. "I believe you owe me an apology" he said coolly.

"M'sorry" Harry muttered and Nick nodded.

"Very well, then let's get down to business" he said, still leaning against the tree, eyes closed. "I'm supposed to train you in a period of two years. Only after that may you be inducted as a citizen of this town. The faster you finish, the faster you gain independence so to speak. " he said. Harry nodded for him to continue. When he didn't, Harry spoke.

"Well when are you going to start?" Harry asked impatiently.

"Start what?" Nick asked, his eyes never opening.

"The training!" Harry responded, feeling very restless.

"Oh, now would be a good time I suppose" Nick said.

"What do I do?" Harry asked, hoping for something interesting.

"Umm… give me your wand" Nick said. Harry obliged. "Now, go get me a soda" Nick ordered and Harry stared at him dumbfounded.

"A…soda? But when do I start learning things?" Harry asked.

"Oh, we'll start, but for now I'm thirsty. Get me a soda and then we'll see" Nick said waving Harry off. "Go on, scoot" he said and Harry sighed.

Resigned to his fate, Harry walked over to the nearest convenient store and purchased a bottle of the first soda he found. He walked back to the park and threw the bottle at Nick. "There, now can we get on with this?" he asked grumpily.

"Relax, the day is still young" he prompted taking a small sip of the drink. "That hit the spot" he muttered. After a few more sips, he closed his eyes and sighed. "I think I'm going to have myself a nap" he muttered lazily to Harry. Why don't you get me something to eat?" he asked.

"What? Why the hell would I do that?" Harry asked incredulously. He wasn't anyone's slave.

"Because I'm in charge of you" Nick responded sagely. "Now scoot" he said before closing his eyes a final time.

** A/N: So what do you guys think of the new characters? I know they haven't really developed much yet, but tell me your thoughts on them so far.**

It took a while for me to get all the stuff down, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask them. I won't be checking my email for around a week, so any PM's might reach me a bit late. I was thinking of getting a beta as well, so feel free to review me if you're interested.

If you are interested, drop me these things:  
Email  
Fanfiction ID  
Why you want to be a beta  
How long each chapter will take to get back to me  
What credentials you have

I'll look through the pool and by next weekend, I guess I'll select a beta to try out.

Anyway, till next time…


	33. So it begins

Ankush Chadha

**Chapter 32**

"That was a long day" Alan said dramatically as he sighed and collapsed on a chair. All five of the house-mates had gathered for dinner after a long day at their jobs. "This place sucks"

"Tell me about it" Gray agreed. "We've been here for four days, and all my teacher has told me to do is read and write essays. I mean I just got out of school goddamn it!"

"You've got it good then" Alan complained. "All I get to do is sit down and meditate. Do you know how boring it is? And if I fall asleep, I get kicked" he said rubbing his sides.

"At least you have things to do that make some level of sense. All I'm doing is running errands and doing chores for my teacher" Harry told them. "Today, I had to go and find him a painting for his living room"

"That sucks" Alan agreed, his tone flat. "How's it going for you Suki?" he asked the shy, quiet girl.

"Fine I guess" She answered, avoiding eye contact.

"And you Ed?" he asked turning to his childhood friend.

"Fine" the boy answered shortly. They had all gathered that Ed was not a socially inclined person, nor was he a man of many words, or manners.

"Alright, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the evening" Harry said, putting away his plate and making his way to his quarters.

The next day, Harry woke up at five thirty again and made his way to the park, where he usually met Nick. It had been a whole week, and yet he knew nothing about his seemingly sadistic teacher. He found the man at his usual spot on the big rock, leaning against a tree.

"Ah… You are here" Nick stated, eyes still closed.

"I know" Harry responded, on the verge of yelling at the man. Before he got the chance, Nick did something unusual- he moved slowly off the rock, stood up and opened his eyes. Harry was greeted by yellow orbs of light, the color of the sun.

"You are ready to start learning" Nick said sagaciously.

"Start learning? It's about time!" Harry responded, an edge to his voice.

"My mistake, I shouldn't have phrased it that way. You are ready to start learning more" Nick revised.

"Learn more? What exactly have I learned already?" Harry asked bitingly. He knew he should be more respectful, but Nick had this coming.

"This entire week I told you to do mindless chores, running back and forth, buying me this and that" He said. "You have learned patience, a skill that is very difficult to learn. More importantly, you have learned to obey"

"Obey? How the hell is that important?" Harry asserted. "I'm not a servant!"

"No, but obedience is important in a growing being. In time you will understand, for in order to learn to lead, you must first learn to obey" Nick said mysteriously. "Now, you will rest today and come back tomorrow with a small bag. In the bag will be a change of clothes, a wand, a small knife and a gun"

"Why?" Harry asked the man. Now that he was talking to him, Nick seemed different. His words sounded like those of Dumbledore yet the man could be no older than twenty four.

"You are coming with me on a simple assignment in Florida. It is rather warm there. I suggest you dress accordingly" Nick said before turning away from him. "You're dismissed" he said as he moved away from his pupil.

"Finally!" Harry exclaimed in excitement after the silhouette of the man vanished.

The next day, Harry was at the park well before Nick. He was looking forward to what the day would bring.

"You're early" A voice that belonged to the man he was waiting for made him jump. "Very good. Follow me" He said and before Harry could ponder where the hell he came from, he began walking away.

"Where are we going" Harry asked as he ran to catch up.

"We're going to get out portkey from the Field" He answered.

"The Field?" Harry asked.

"It's a place you go to get your portkey before you leave here. Only in the field can you apparate or use a portkey" He told Harry. "Ah… we're here" He said looking at a fairly large building.

"That doesn't look like a… field" Harry commented.

"Probably because it isn't a field" Nick said with a smile. It was the first time Harry had seen his teacher smile. To be honest, it was rather… disconcerting. "It takes its name on what surrounds it; a force-field. That's why it's resistant to the anti-travel wards on the entire city"

"Makes sense" Harry said mulling it over. Nick began to walk towards the building, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. "Hey! Wait up!" Both teacher and pupil entered the building. It was not anything like Harry imagined it would be. It was, in lament terms, an office. White walls lined the place, occasionally interrupted by a painting of fruit or a masterpiece by a famous artist. In essence, it didn't seem magical at all.

"Welcome to the Field Mr. Nick and… who is this?" A jovial secretary asked as she moved closer to Harry to get a better look. "Your new apprentice I take it?" she asked Nick.

"Yeah, this would be Mr. Potter" Nick answered.

"Well you are a lucky one getting Mr. Nick as a teacher. He's a great fellow, that one" She said to Harry before turning to Nick. "Your portkey should be in room 601 dear"

"Thanks Ms. Cee" Nick said as he pushed Harry towards the elevator.

"Who was that?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow. Both entered the elevator

"A secretary who helped me along my first year" He answered. "Nice woman, that one. Ah… we're here" he said as the elevator opened at the sixth floor. He moved to the right and began looking for the correct room. He put his hand on the knob and turned it. The door opened with a soft click and let the pair in. Inside was a small key, with a small picture of a falcon with a dragon's eye. "The Creed's insignia" Nick answered before Harry could ask. "Grab the key" he ordered and Harry obeyed without hesitation.

A tug at his navel indicated that the journey had begun… and in a few seconds, ended. The pair landed in a small forest, surrounded by lush trees and a variety of songbirds. "Where are we?" Harry asked, taking in his surroundings. Besides birds, this forest seemed to have many more creatures all hiding in the bushes and shadows made by the trees. There were many snakes around he knew, as he could hear them whisper all around him, taking care to conceal themselves well.

"We're in a forest" Nick answered, a sadistic smile plastered on his face. "We are here to find a rare magical creature and capture it" Nick said, careful to keep the details to himself.

"Alright…" Harry said, unsure of how to respond. "Care to elaborate?" Harry asked.

"Not particularly" he responded. "Come on, lets go" Nick said as he made his way towards a big oak tree. In a split second, he had taken a knife out and stabbed the tree, making a three inch incision on its trunk. "So we don't get lost" he elaborated before moving six or seven trees down and repeating the process.

_**Four hours later…**_

"We've been walking for four hours now!" Harry complained as he took another step forward. The heat was getting to him and a layer of sweat covered his whole body. Around an hour ago, he had pulled out his wand to apply a cooling charm to his canteen, but that was not to be. Nick had promptly snatched his wand away, telling him that he could not use magic yet.

The sky was turning a dark purple as Harry gazed at it, looking for anything to keep his mind off his aching legs. A lone star sat above him, twinkling at him, just like Dumbledore's eye.

"Alright, we'll set up camp here" Nick said, giving in to Harry's whining. "Stay here and start a small fire. Use your wand for a single spell, nothing more" Nick warned as he went into a deeper part of the woods.

After gathering a fair amount of firewood, Harry pointed his wand at it and muttered _"Incendio_." The wood ignited and a blazing fire came to life, bringing warmth to the humid environment. Wiping his forehead, Harry took a seat on the cold ground next to the fire, wondering where Nick had disappeared to. He didn't have to think too much because Nick showed up five minutes later with four freshly caught fish.

"Hope you like fish" he commented handing two of them to Harry. Harry wrinkled his nose at the smell. Truth be told, he hated fish in any form except fish sticks. Oh well, he'd have to learn to adjust. "Hold them over the fire to cook them" Nick advised when he saw that Harry was just staring at the fish. Shrugging, the boy did as he was told.

Overall, the food served its purpose, but it wasn't Harry's meal of choice. "Where do we sleep?" Harry asked, yawning. Nick patted the ground.

"Right here" he said taking something out of his bag. "Here, take this" he said throwing Harry a vial of sleeping potion. "It'll help you sleep"

Harry uncorked the vial and tipped his head back. Down the hatch the medicine went, and Harry hit the ground, fast asleep.

**A/N: What awaits in future chapters? What exactly are the pair looking for? **

**Questions and comments welcome. Don't forget to review!! REVIEW!!**

**SO how do you guys like Nick so far? He is definitely one of my favorite characters, or he will eventually be. He's definitely the most interesting and perhaps the most mysterious. **

**Alright, well next chapter, the mission starts, and most probably finishes. Then more and more of the other OCs will develop and then I can finally begin either a) a sequel if enough people want one (but that'll be after at least another ten-fifteen chapters) or b) end the story by rounding off everything in an extra ten chapters**

**I seriously hope to finish this story by say… Christmas? But I guess that's being too hopeful. Let this be my New years resolution…**

**Anyway, review!!**


	34. Welcome to the Jungle

**Chapter 33**

The next morning was spent walking up a steep plot of land and trying to ignore the heat that was being given off by the sweltering hot sun. The air seemed heavy and the trees of the forest seemed to dance around the pair.

"Tired… must have water" Harry muttered under his breath. He had been walking for hours without a drop of water or an ounce of food. His stomach grumbled, begging for something to fill the void it had nurtured.

"Patience, we're almost there" Nick said. Throughout the walk Nick had maintained composure and had not showed any signs of fatigue. Harry respected the man for that. Despite his willpower however, Nick had seat dripping from his face and soaking his shirt. "Ah, here's a nice place to rest" Nick said stopping near a big rock and taking a seat. "There's a stream over there" he indicated pointing south. "Go get some water and come back here"

Harry nodded, too tired to respond verbally and obeyed immediately. The cool water from the stream filled his dry, raspy throat and felt incredible. It was as if a life giving elixir was being poured directly into Harry. He finished the canteen he had filled and immediately moved to fill it again and empty it into his stomach once again. The water rejuvenated Harry and only after four refills was he satisfied.

Returning to Nick, Harry threw a bottle he had filled for the older man at him. "For you" he said and Nick nodded in thanks. "So, where are we going?" Harry asked taking a seat next to Nick as he drank the water. Harry noticed that Nick drank with more restraint than Harry had.

"We're here" Nick said pointing to a swarm of trees. "Beyond these, there's a clearing. Inside the clearing though, there is an adult gorgon. We need to capture the gorgon and hand it over to the Creed so they can make certain potions."

"So that's why we couldn't use magic? We couldn't scare it off?" Harry asked.

"Precisely" Nick responded taking another sip of water.

"So how will we capture it without it escaping?" Harry asked.

"That's going to be your job. I'm going to create a barrier so it can't escape. You have to go in and kill the beast on your own" Nick told him. "Think you can handle it?" he challenged.

"Of course I can" Harry answered cockily. Of course, on the inside his heart began to beat slightly faster. While in theory the plan was great, killing a gorgon was no easy feat. Many had died fighting the mysterious creatures and trying to harvest the potion ingredients that the beasts offered.

"Alright then, go on in. Once you're past the trees, give me a signal and I'll throw up the barrier. It takes a lot of energy to hold the barrier so hurry up" Nick instructed. "Now go"

Harry looked back one last time before entering the small gap between the trees ahead. Darkness engulfed him and he couldn't see his own hand. Taking a few more steps into the forest, he raised his wand and whispered "_Inflamarus Tourus"_ and a geyser of white flame flew over the trees signaling Nick. The flame added to the heat and made Harry sweat even more. As his heart began to beat hard and fast, he took his first step into the clearing.

As light flooded to Harry's eyes, he squinted and raised his hands to block it out. His eyes were greeted with a beautiful clearing filled with wildflowers, a small lake and a few stray animals. Before he could take in the beauty of the scene, a loud barrage of hissing turned his attention to an eight foot tall giant woman with snakes coming out of her head.

"Holy…." Harry said as the woman moved to grab him with her arms.

**A/N: Wow, its been a while. I know I haven't been here much, but I've been extremely busy and for what its worth, I'm sorry. I really want to finish this story and I hope I will, but it wont be before Christmas, needless to say. **

**How did you like this new style of descriptive writing? Is it better than the old non-detailed style? Don't hesitate to tell the truth, because it will only help. **

**Hopefully, you still respect me enough to review and you aren't too angry. **

**Hope ur happy to note that I wont abandon this story even if it takes years to complete. **


	35. Mission Accomplished

**Chapter 34**

As Harry moved out the way, his mind drifted to old memories he had where he was talking to Isaac. During his first few meetings with the snake, he remembered asking if gorgons existed. The snake had told him that they did, but they were very rare. He remembered being told that in order to reproduce, a gorgon captured a man, killed him and the transformed him into one of their own. It was the creature who could perform the closest thing to reviving the dead.

Fearing for his life Harry dodged ran to the other side of the clearing, taking the time to brandish his wand. He found that the gorgon was rather slow. Its head swayed from side to side as serpents oozed out of the thing's skull, their fangs dripping with poison and their eyes lustful.

"Human…"

"Delicious…"

"Let us eat…"

"Feed us our queen…"

"We must kill him…"

All of the snakes seemed to talk at once. Harry groaned as his head began throbbing and the various snakes continued to chatter. The voices welled up inside of him, rebounding on the insides of his head.

"AHHHHH" he screamed, brought to his knees by the pain in his head. The world was fading in and out to the beating of his heart. He had to do something fast. The monstrous creature was coming closer by the second, staggering drunkenly towards him, arms stretched out.

"What do I do?" he asked aloud as he couldn't think clearly. The words became a mantra as he repeated them as fast as he could. When the snakes had began to hiss, he had dropped his wand a few feet away. If he could focus for a few seconds and reach it.

Grinding his teeth together, he let go of his head which continued to thump with agony and he reached for his wand slowly when an idea stuck him.

"_Snaklings can you hear me?" _he hissed at the gorgon's head. The snakes ignored him and continued to speak even louder. "Damn it" he cursed under his breath as he continued toward his wand. He was running out of time; the beast was close to him. "Almost there" he muttered as his fingertips grazed the wand. Just as he grasped the wand in his hand, a snake extended out of the monstrous woman's head and hit him square on the shoulder, ripping his robe.

"AHHHH!!!" he screamed as blood oozed out of him and venom flooded his veins. Surprisingly, the snake too recoiled violently before closing its eyes and falling limp and dying. All the other snakes stopped their malevolent hissing as soon as their comrade died, and retreated into the skull of their mistress.

Harry took this opportunity to thank his stars and set the gorgon ablaze with a swish of his wand. The cry the humanoid emitted was enough to want to make any man tear off his ears and scream for the violent screech to end.

After the gorgon fell to the ground with a resounding thud, Harry released the fire and fell to his knees breathing heavily. The adrenaline was wearing out, and the exhaustion his body felt was setting in. His mind was still racing with thoughts of his recent encounter and he was so deep into them that he didn't even notice Nick run up to him worried.

"Harry, Harry!" Nick yelled panicked as he shook Harry back and forth. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… bit me… gorgon" He managed to get out before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

Harry opened his eyes to find himself in a small room with a bed and an small needle in his arm. Just as his eyes began to focus, the small gray door opened and Nick and Suki rushed in. Before he knew it, Suki was pushing him down and running a wand over his chest. She glanced at a monitor to her left as she ran what Harry assumed were medical test on him one after another.

She proceeded to pull the needle out of his arm and replace it with a syringe and draw a blood sample. When Harry tried to ask her what was going on, he found that he was unable to speak.

"Hold on, you can talk after I finish the tests" Suki told him as she examined his blood. "That's odd" she muttered to herself.

"What's up?" Nick asked peeking over the teen's shoulder.

"Take a look" Suki said offering him the sample. "If you look here and here, there are traces of the venom still inside of him" She turned to Harry. "You should be dead"

"No, take a look again" Nick said pointing out a small blob in the vial. "Watch it carefully and you can see it getting smaller in size. His blood is actively dissolving the poison. But how?" he muttered the last part to himself.

"Let's get that straight from the horse's mouth" Suki suggested and released the lock on Harry's mouth. A breath of fresh air filled his lungs and he gulped it greedily.

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked feeling much less tired.

"That was an oxygen spell, so that you wouldn't die if you were to stop breathing. Now, what's going on? How are you alive?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"You don't have to seem so angry about it" Harry muttered and she began to tap her foot. "I don't know. Maybe the poison was too weak or something"

"Nope. We both took a look. The poison should have killed u twenty seconds after the snake bit you. It was one of the more lethal poisons snakes have" Nick retaliated. "So either you have extremely strong blood, or you have a few secrets you wouldn't like to share with the class. Which is it?"

"Stupid question. If I had a secret, I would tell you I didn't know. If it was my blood, I wouldn't know. So either way, the answer you'll get will be useless" Harry answered.

"That's neither here nor there. You're clever, I'll give you that, but every cat gets out of the bag sometime or the other. We'll let you slide for now" Nick said getting up to leave. "You have the day off tomorrow, but that's it. I expect you back day after. Oh, and here's something you might want" Nick said dropping an envelope onto Harry's lap.

Without so much as glancing at the envelope, Harry tore it open to find his first paycheck enclosed. Harry let out a small smile as the door closed behind Nick with a soft click.

**A?N: Just another chapter to say I'm still alive. I know you guys hate when I write personal questions, but I really honestly need help now and I would appreciate good, justified feedback. **

**Is writing fanfiction something I can put on a college application? **

**That's my question, because I guess it could be a hobby, but I figure it has to be somewhat educational right? Anyway, feedback is appreciated. **

**SO how was that? Yes, I know it was short, but what can you do? I have to write so many essays and study for so many classes. Oh well, life moves on.**

**I know the story is slow for now, but I'll speed things up after January second (the day all my college apps are done with and all I have left to do is pray for them). Any reviews would be nice, as well as any character analysis or predictions. I might post another poll up soon, because a character is going to die soon, but I won't say which one. Actually one will die and then another will follow.**

The next chapter will cover all of Harry's "housemates" and what each of them is like and what they can do. Why Harry didn't die… well we'll cover that in a few chapters, if I'm lucky of course. Anyway happy reading and wont u plz review??? 


	36. A Day in the Life of

**Chapter 35**

The next day was great for Harry. As a result of his previous mission, he had a pocket full of money and a full day to blow it.

"Morning," Alan said cheerfully as Harry walked into the kitchen. The scent of freshly baked muffins came to him and flooded him with a feeling of bliss. "Want a muffin?" Alan said summoning one from the oven.

"Thanks," Harry said accepting the muffing. "Anyone else awake yet?" he asked before taking a bite. "This is delicious!" He exclaimed.

"Thanks, and no, everyone is still asleep" Alan answered.

"Not anymore," Gray said coming in. "What is that delightful smell?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Muffins," Alan answered. "Want one?" he asked and Gray nodded jerkily.

"And some coffee please" she muttered.

"You're going to have to wait a bit. The coffee there is stone cold," Alan advised.

"No problem," Gray answered and without a second thought pointed her index finger at the aforementioned pot of coffee. Before either of the two guys could say anything, a jet of white hit flame sprang from Gray's index finger engulfing the coffee. At that moment, the kitchen felt like an over. Harry could feel the sweat all over his body. His skin seemed to sizzle under the pressure. And just like that the flame was gone and the burning sensation with it, leaving Harry on the ground, sweating bullets and panting.

"What the hell was that?" Alan asked, not much better off than Harry. Gray shrugged.

"I'm a pyromancer" she answered nonchalantly.

"Those are incredibly rare," Harry said, still on the floor. "There are hardly one hundred of them left."

"Yup" Gray answered with pride, munching on her muffin. "I wouldn't recommend messing with me." She added. "So what do you guys do?" She asked as Harry and Alan stared back at her blankly. "Oh come on! All of us were chosen for the organization because we were special. You two were obviously not chosen for your intelligence," she remarked and the two looked at each other.

"Well I'm a visionary" Alan said after a second's hesitation. "I can see visions of the future, but it isn't much use unless I can interpret them,"

"I can do many things, but don't have a particular talent like you two," Harry said. "I'm good at fighting and mind magic I suppose." He added.

"Why do you think Suki and Ed are here?" Gray asked taking a sip of her coffee.

"Well Ed is here because he can use a sword as well as a painter can use a brush," Alan answered. "Scary guy,"

"And I think Suki's here because she's a good healer" Harry added. "She seemed pretty good from what I saw"

"Speaking of which, mind telling me why you're alive?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned around to see Suki in a nightgown, her hair in a mess and her foot tapping the ground making a fairly nice beat.

"Can't you just be happy? I survived by a miracle!" Harry answered nonchalantly.

"It wasn't a miracle. I'm not stupid" Suki defended. Then she leaned closer to him. "You have a secret and I'm going to find out what it is." She whispered. In turn he leaned towards her ear.

"My penis is actually a snake. Are you satisfied?" He whispered and her face turned red.

"You're an ass!" She yelled at him, her face red from shame.

"And you're nosy, so I guess we're even" he answered childishly. Alan sat in the corner snickering to himself while Gray tilted her head to the side trying to make sense of the exchange.

"Breakfast?" Alan asked, successfully diffusing the awkward moment.

"I'll take some too" a voice said as heavy footsteps were heard. Ed came into the kitchen dressed in a black robe that billowed in a manner similar to Snape's and adorned a sword sheath on his back. The sheath itself was a beautiful whirlpool of sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and gold. Blue crystals filled the voids in which the other precious stones were absent. The hilt of the sword was equally if not more impressive. The handle appeared to be made out of a mix of platinum and yellow gold with a few gemstones surrounding it. Harry could only image what the actual sword was made of. Whatever it was, it looked fairly heavy.

"What the hell is that thing on your back?" Gray asked without hesitation. Ed pointedly ignored her in favor of taking a bagel from the fridge. "Hey! Answer me!" she persisted, but he continued to ignore her and chose this time to leave the house entirely.

"So, do all of you have the day off?" Harry asked as Gray cursed Ed for being a rude degenerate. Smoke started to seep from her nose and ears, yet she remained either woefully ignorant or chose not to acknowledge it.

"Yeah I think we all do," Alan answered as Suki was too busy not talking to Harry and Gray was still- literally- fuming.

"Ah! In that case, let's get a few things done," Suki said entering the conversation. "First we should buy some food as we're almost out," she looked pointedly at Alan when she said this, but all he did was shrug. "Then we have to start dividing the chores. We can all obviously clean out own rooms and clothes, but someone will have to was the dishes, or spell them every day. The living room and kitchen clean themselves thankfully"

"You two should go shopping for these things right now," Suki continued handing them a list about three feet long. "Go familiarize yourselves with the neighborhood and grab a few things along the way."

"A few? This'll take a week!" Alan complained, causing Suki to sigh.

"Shut up and get the hell out of here!" Suki said pulling the two out of their seats and towards the door. "And don't come back until you're done!" She yelled.

"Why do we get stuck with this?" Alan muttered to himself.

"That's the luck of the draw. Now lets just get this done quickly," Harry reasoned and Alan nodded.

"Like we have a choice" he said and Harry nodded. "What's first on the list?"

"Let me check… it says we need… just about every vegetable known to man is on the list. Let's cover the grocer's first" Harry suggested, but he got no response. "Alan?" He asked, turning around to see what was holding his partner up. Alan was on his knees, his iris' a pure white. His mouth was slightly agape, but everything below his neck seemed to go limp. "Alan!" he yelled rushing to his comrade's aid. It all happened so fast. It was as if a spirit flooded Alan's body and he returned to normal. "You okay?"

Alan couldn't answer due to the fact that he was breathing heavily. "Need to go… get back… house… explosion." Alan gasped out.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked frantically. Something was clearly wrong.

"House… go back…explodes… die…run!" Alan said unable to catch his breath. Harry panicked and did the only thing that seemed right. He smacked Alan across the face. As his palm made contact, a resounding sound of flesh hitting flesh greeted his ears. Oddly enough it seemed to work.

"Now, what the hell were you saying?" Harry asked as Alan touched his red cheek.

"There's going to be a huge attack about thirty feet ahead of where u are standing. We need to get the hell away from here. It's not safe"

"When?" Harry asked.

"I don't know…" Alan said, attempting to get up. "Let's get the hell out of here" he urged and Harry sighed.

"Alright, but you have to explain this" he joked as he moved to help Alan to his feet.

Behind the pair, a thundering boom was heard and both of them felt a dangerous heat kiss their necks. Harry looked back to see flames approaching at godlike speeds and clouds of smoke falling off the flames as they danced closer and closer to the pair. "Aguaus Ultimus!" Harry yelled pulling out his wand. A wall of water was summoned and the flames were held back.

"The wall won't hold long will it?" Alan asked grimly.

"It could either put out the flames, or it could collapse. Depends entirely on how much strength the flames have," Harry said. "Let's hope for the best!" he said as he pushed more magic into the wall. "Can you stand?" he asked turning his focus to Alan.

"I…think…so" Alan responded while slowly moving to stand on his own. "I don't have the strength to cast a spell"

"That's fine. Get back to the house and I'll be there in a bit," Harry told him but he shook his head.

"No point in leaving alone," he said. "Might as well stick around. My strength will be back in a minute." What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. The wall of water collapsed with a light splash, reduced to a mere puddle soon to be absorbed by the fire that destroyed it. The fire, Harry noticed was beginning to turn black- into fiendfyre.

What seemed like a tornado of fire came charging at the pair showing no signs of slowing down. Harry raised his wand, but his mind went blank. There were no spells he could think of to extinguish fiendfyre. He closed his eyes, awaiting the pain that was sure to come. Beads of sweat flowed from his forehead as the flames came closer. They seemed to taunt him, inching towards him, almost there, but not quite.

**A/N: Yeah I know, its not my greatest work, but I really wanted to get this out and I have a crazy headache. Really this was just to introduce some of the unique characters and all. A filler if you will. **

**Anyway, tell me what you thought. I have a ton of work, so I'm going to skedaddle. Yes, I just said skedaddle. **

**Don't forget to review = DFTR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	37. We didn't start the fire

**Chapter 36: We didn't start the fire**

Suddenly, a hand pulled him out of the way just as the first flame singed the tip of his hair. He turned around to see who it was, and he was somewhat surprised to find Nick standing there.

"What the hell is…," He was cut short by Nick.

"Commonplace here; people attack us all the time. Mostly just to scare us into stopping the Creed and shutting our business down," Nick said and turned to the sky. In the sky was a giant brass cauldron floating in the air. From it, men were jumping onto the Creed's Island and attacking with magical spheres. Buildings were falling apart, but oddly enough, not a single person was injured.

"What's going on?" Alan asked, finally awake. He had fainted from fatigue and the heat from the flames.

"Can you stand?" Harry asked giving his friend a hand.

"Yeah, I think so" He answered and attempted to get back on his feet. He finally got his balance after stumbling a few times. "So what do we do?" he asked turning to Nick.

"Well, what you do is up to you, but I'm in the mood to fight. Besides, these idiots might be good practice for you." Nick reasoned taking out a small black rectangular object with the thickness of three credit cards. He placed it between both his palms and it began to glow. The glow was mystifying yet extremely powerful, almost angelic. He removed his top palm from the device and began moving his finger in various patterns across it. Spells began to shoot in every direction, zig-zagging through crowds to hit their targets. It was poetic.

Before Harry could ask about the mechanism, a barrage of spells rushed at them like attack dogs, giving Harry an idea. He reached down and scooped up a few pebbles and threw them in the direction of the spells. Right before the pebbles reached the ground, Harry waved his wand and they all turned into ferocious attack dogs. The dogs took the curses head on, but kept charging at the source of the attacks. There, they maliciously tore into the flesh of their targets, causing them to either retreat or die.

Alan meanwhile was moving his wand in an intricate pattern, as if he was dancing. It was odd at first, until something even stranger happened- a few of the invaders dropped their weapons and grabbed their heads and began to scream and writhe in unbearable agony. Their screams penetrated the atmosphere. Harry turned to Alan, who had a look of deep, profound concentration on his face. It was clearly his doing- an illusions spell if he wasn't mistaken, albeit a slightly rudimentary one.

After that, everything happened quickly. First, the few survivors who had arrived attempted to make their way back into the giant cauldron before they were killed. At the same time, a few residents blasted the cauldron from every angle, breaking it apart piece by piece- until it finally blew up. The explosion caused ample quantities of flaming hot metal to shower the Island, but it seemed the only ones to panic were Harry and Alan.

"Quit looking so on edge." Nick scolded. "Those things won't even reach us before they disintegrate" He turned around. "Come on, I'll walk you two back to your house. I was on my way there anyway"

The two followed him, all thoughts of shopping for food forgotten.

Inside the house, they found the two girls awaiting food. After Nick diffused the situation, he addressed the four of them.

"I was sent down here to send you four on your first mission. It's pretty simple, but if you were to screw it up, you'd ALL be fired and have to pay the Creed 100,000 galleons a piece," he began. He pulled out his device, and placed it on his palm before tapping it twice. A projection of a map appeared, and it appeared to have quite a bit of detail on it.

"So what are we doing?" Grey asked impatiently.

"See this?" Nick asked pointing at a small blue pebble. The four nodded. "This is the tear of Tyranus, a dictator who once led the Creed. He was a vicious ruler, but he was a magical mastermind. His last act before he was murdered was to create this artifact. It is said to have great powers, but not a soul has been able to figure out if that's true. You five will transport this to a laboratory down in the Catskill mountains. We can portkey you to the base of the mountains, but you'll have to follow a path for about fifty miles. The object is valued at 500,000 galleons presently and must NOT be lost to any bandits or you guys are screwed," he said putting away his device. "Well, have fun with that."

The four were of mixed opinion.

"Finally, we get to do something," Grey said ecstatically. "I'm going to go pack!"

"Well, this is unexpected," Suki said, voicing the remaining three's thoughts.

"Yeah, it's barely been a few weeks and we're doing a half a million mission. What's the commission for this anyway?" Alan asked.

"Zero galleons Al, it's a mission for the creed remember? No commission on inside missions" Harry reminded. "Where the hell is Edward anyway? He's going too isn't he?"

"I should hope so," A voice came from the door. It was Ed. "Don't bother, I got the details." He said shortly and went up. "Be ready in one hour, we're leaving."

**A/N: I know its extremely short, it was just a "I'm alive, don't eat me" kinda chapter, More coming real, real, soon. In fact, after January is over, I can finally get back to working on it more. After college apps are finally over of course. By april I'll let u guys know where I'm going (if its anywhere decent) so be prepared for a really sad or really happy A/N. **

**Anyway, what do u think? Finally got their first mission out. After this, I'm going to try to fast forward a bit, pick up the pace. If there is anyone who objects to this course of action, speak now or forever hold your peace. And by forever, I mean until the next chapter. Well, read it and don't forget to review! This story is alive because of the feedback I get. You guys are awesome. Thanks for your loyalty. If you have questions, I'll start answering them in my ANs. Goodnight to all and Merry Christmas!**


	38. On the road again

**Chapter 37**

After arriving at their destination, all five of them regretted heading out so quickly. None of them had bothered to research their destination. They had been transported to a beautiful plateau where green plants and trees colored the lands and a clear blue sky was painted above them. Shades of purple colored the bottom of the sky and the horizon, each lighter than the previous.

The majestic nature of the mountains surprised them, and not a word was spoken as they took in the sight that lay ahead. Finally, Ed looked at the map they were provided with.

"Okay, so we go straight here, through some kind of winding path to the next plateau and then make a right. After that we go up the mountain and we're there," he rolled up the map, and with a flick of his hand, it disappeared and he began to walk in the direction he had indicated.

"So, how long are we supposed to walk this path?" Alan asked. The excitement of receiving their first assignment had worn off after the first hour. Now it was simply a task they were being forced to complete.

"Till we get to the next plateau," Grey answered.

"This is a rather degrading mission isn't it?" Harry asked pulling out the tear from his pocket. "I mean six year olds could carry a damned stone from one place to another," he took a second to examine the stone for the first time since he had received it. It was very smooth and had a perfect elliptical shape. It shared its hue with the purest of oceans and seemed to carry its own pulse, which he could feel in his hand. This single stone was worth more than the house he resided in. It was simply too outlandish to believe.

"I can sympathize with your belief that this is a abasing task unbefitting the talents of anyone out of school, but rather than bewailing our predicament, we must realize the downsides of our position," Alan said formally. Everyone stared at him.

"Alright, I'll ask; what the hell?" Grey asked

"I bought a thesaurus," Alan answered; no one stopped staring. "And I read it!" He added. A chorus of "oh!s followed.

"Hey look, a polar bear!" Suki said pointing at the creature. As soon as everyone turned to look, it turned tail and ran. "Those aren't supposed to be here!"

"That wasn't a polar bear you idiot, it was a patronus," Ed said as if explaining things to a four year old. "Come on, we have to hurry!" he added and began sprinting. "Which one of you has the tear?" he asked.

"Better only the person who has it knows!" Grey yelled. "Do any of you feel a breeze?" she asked, curiously. Indeed, they all felt a wind getting stronger and stronger. The waves of air pushing against the group, making it harder to move, were becoming intense. Plants were uprooted and dirt rose up in a swirling tornado, and the teams view was totally blocked.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Alan yelled over the roar of the tornado, and just as suddenly as it began, the tornado stopped. In its place stood twelve people, adorned with ripped clothing and scars.

Then more and more of the sort came until the five were surrounded by what appeared to be a gang.

"Give us the stone," One of the men grunted rudely.

"Like hell we will," Grey answered, her temper flaring. A man emerged from the crowd, quite different from the others in the gang. He was dressed in a deep red suit, and had a glass of wine in his hand, which he took a small sip of.

"This scenario can play out in two ways. I can give you double what that stone is worth and you can be on your merry way and tell the Creed it was stolen or we can take it by force. As idiotic as you may look, I'm sure you can see you're outnumbered forty three to five," he said. His voice was suave and filled with confidence. He moved, and overall behaved as a man of class- a gentleman, yet it was clear that his motives were barbaric. He would do anything to get what he desired.

"Please move out of our way, or I will personally see to it that you die," Ed stated calmly. The look in his eye was downright frightening, and Harry knew he wasn't bluffing. He would kill each and every member of the little gang if he had to.

"Very well, we'll do it your way," the man said with a condescending smirk, and with a whirl of his wand, he disappeared. His goons were however still there- all forty two of them. One smiling, approached the group, but before he took his fifth step, he was beheaded by a beautiful looking sword held by Ed. The all hell broke loose. Every single goon attacked all at once.

Harry pulled out his wand and cast spells in every direction. Soon, the goons began to return fire, casting much more deadly spells than Harry. It was time to act fast. Within seconds, a giant serpent made of plants and soil rose amidst the battle and unleashed its wrath upon the awry thieves. Shrieking, it used its fangs, made out of sharpened shrubs, to impale a troll-like attacker who was about to attack Harry. Controlling his marvelous creation the way Dumbledore taught him, Harry ordered the serpent to kill the few thieves left. The rest had been crushed by its magnificent tail or destroyed by some combination of fire and brute force.

But that wasn't the end. Something was up, and no one put their wands down.

"Start walking, keep alert," Ed said gruffly, his sword held in both hands with vigilance. Sparks of white flame flew from Grey's fingertips. Suki, Alan and Harry all had their wands out, scoping the area with their eyes. Something was different. Suki was the first to notice.

"Where did the path go?" she asked, realizing they didn't have a clue which way to go.

"The tornado must have destroyed it," Alan reasoned. "It disoriented us too. I have no clue where we came from"

"That way, I can feel a large magical presence," Ed said concentrating.

"And if it's those people again?" Harry asked sharply.

"We'll take our chances," Grey said dismissively. And so the continued on the dusty path, or at least what they thought was the path.

"Something's wrong," Harry said immediately. Before anyone could react, a giant pillar rose from the ground, a lone figure standing on it. Upon closer inspection, Harry noticed it was a skinny looking man with a top small top hat dressed in conductor's clothing.

"What the hell is that?" Al asked looking at the pillar. The pillar began to bend, targeting the spot where the five were standing. They all apparated out of the way just in time.

Dust flew as the pillar touched the ground, blinding them all and causing them to cough. Before they could recover, they were encircled by stone bars which intertwined, making a cage. Alan leaned against the wall, still rubbing his eyes. As he made contact, a shock leapt through his body and he fell to the ground, unconscious or dead; not a soul could tell.

They opened their eyes to see the conductor like man standing at the bars of the cage, a wicked toothy smile on his face and wand twirling in his hand.

"Welcome to your new abode," he said with a glint in his eye. Alan leaned against the wall, still rubbing his eyes

**A/N: First let me address individual questions and comments**

**Blah: Yeah the atmosphere did change, my transition was sloppy, and I'm sorry. I was under a lot of pressure, and the story kept evolving in my mind so I did what I could. It's up to u if u want to read or not.**

**Ramafan: Yeah, again story evolved and its more real than other stories. Most people do not marry their "first love" or first girlfriends or whatnot, except in very idealistic fanfictions and JK rowling books… I'm making this as realistic as possible. **

**Legend3881: Thanks for feedback, I will be accelerating the story by a few years if its okay with everyone. If I have the patience, there will be 2 sequels. **

**SO what did you guys think, I know it's been a long time since a real chapter came out and I hope you all enjoyed it. Don't forget to review…**

**BYE!**


	39. The Deed is Done

**Chapter 38**

The four still conscious in the group huddled together as the man came closer. "Give me the stone," he said wickedly, slowly pointing his wand at them.

"What do we do?" Grey whispered fiercely.

"Don't touch the walls," Harry whispered back. "They have hidden runes on them that will electrocute you on impact."

"I think we all figured that out," Suki pointed out looking at Alan's body.

"I don't wish to repeat myself. Give me the stone," the man said fiercely.

"Not a chance," Grey sneered. The man smiled.

"I was hoping you would refuse," his arm moved upward and with one deft motion, he swung his wand down and up many times. It looked quite idiotic from the standpoint of the four, but the ground under them began to glow golden. Intricate webs of light formed and the ground emanated with power.

"What are these?" Ed asked grudgingly. Harry looked closely.

"Fractalian runes," he whispered quietly.

"What?" Ed asked in utter confusion.

"One of the rune languages which has long since been forgotten. It was said to be used for intricate bits of magic involving pain and healing. I'd wager he's not exactly your resident mediwitch though," Harry said, recalling what he had learned about runes.

"Bringing us back to my original question; what do we do?" Grey yelled, panic invading her mind.

"How the hell should I know?" Harry snapped, trying fruitlessly to read the runes. He groaned in frustration. The patterns were too complicated for him to read.

"I'll take care of this," Ed said reaching into the sheath behind his back. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword and with one fell swoop, a thick silver blade was in his hands. One incantation and an incredibly strong swipe was all it took for the boy to disable the runes. Though he would never admit it, Harry was impressed. The man on the outside however, was less that content. Ignoring his anger, Ed smashed through the walls of the cage with mighty blows, and the structure came crashing down. The man took the defensive.

"Very clever boy, but nothing more than a fluke. I will ask you once more; give me the stone and I will not cause you harm," the man spat. He was angry, there was no doubt about it and his cool demeanor had faded.

"Who are you?" Grey piped from behind Ed.

"That is none of your concern," the man sneered before raising his wand and blasting two fair sized stones at the four.

"Protegus tangius!" Harry yelled, and a powerful shield emerged, blocking the assault. The man's smile grew.

"This may be fun after all," he muttered before casting a series of spells at them. Each one was blocked by its target.

Harry raised his wand and threw several silent spells back in quick succession. Grey raised a finger and shot small balls of fire at the man. Suki focused on blocking any attacks that came to them. Ed sheathed his swords and twisted the hilt. This time another sword was drawn. This one was much slimmer and more suited to harm a human with. Harry could smell the venom of several snakes imbedded into the blade. To their surprise, the man drew his own sword and blocked ever assault that came his way.

"You're pathetic!" he laughed, angering the pyromancer and healer. Both began to attack with a rage unforeseen by the others. Unfortunately, this was what the man had hoped for. As soon as they gave an opening, he took them both out with two boulders. Harry and Ed didn't have time to spare them a glance as the man turned on them.

"We aim to kill," Ed whispered to Harry and he nodded. Together, the attacked from all angles, trying to catch him off guard but to no avail.

"What the hell do we do now?" Harry asked, not letting up with his attacks. Each beam of light simply bounced off the man's shield or crashed into a piece of earth the man manipulated.

"Kill him," Ed said simply and Harry sighed. He would have to use what Dumbledore had taught him. The spells stopped flowing from his wand. "I'll distract him."

Harry calmed himself and mentally braced himself for the magic he was about to attempt. He pointed his wand to the left, gathering himself and preparing the spell. Slowly and carefully, he made a sideways figure eight several times, the symbol for infinite casting. It was a special trick Dumbledore had created and specifically passed on. 'Two more times,' Harry thought, but his movements never sped up. This was a dangerous piece of magic and had to be done with extreme care. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead as he heard the clashes of metal caused by the man and Ed smashing swords against each other. It was ready.

Harry moved into the dueling stance he had learned from so long ago and chanted the chant Dumbledore had taught. It was a repetitive chant in an unknown language, but he had been told that a single word could change the entire spell's effect. Just then, Ed flew past Harry, a rock attached to his naval. The man had finally gotten an attack through. It didn't matter however, as Harry was ready.

In once last movement, a dragon made of wind formed in front of him, roaring at his opponent. The spell had worked and there would be hell to pay. Trees fell to the thunderous roar but the man didn't move. He conjured a rock barrier, blocking the draconic assault. That was his first mistake.

Harry commanded the dragon to attack from every side but each time it was blocked off. Harry focused on attacking the man with a barrage of spells while the dragon attacked with wind and fire. It wasn't helping. The man was too powerful.

Suddenly, the man's eyes widened, and his stiffened body fell to the floor. Alan, who had finally woken up, had cast the final spell from behind the man. Ed got up from his position and well and limped to the man's body. He lifted his sword, the blade gleaming in the sunlight, and in one fell swoop he slashed off the man's head, killing the mysterious man. Blood spurted out of the neck of their attacker, and his body relaxed. He was at rest.

After recovering from the shock of witnessing such a brutal killing, Harry, Ed and Alan brought Suki and Grey back to consciousness in order to continue to their destination.

"So which way do we go?" Harry asked, worn out from the fight.

"There," Suki said pointing to the northwest. "There are faint traces of a path there." And so they continued on. Suki was correct in her choice of direction, and soon the path became visible once again. They came to a clearing after another seven minutes of walking and saw a silver dome shaped building with many doors around it. They chose to enter through the green door.

As the stepped through the door, they appeared in an elevator. A button pressed itself and the elevator zoomed downwards as fast as it could. After the gut wrenching seven second death drop, the vessel slowed to an immediate halt and its doors opened to a busy laboratory.

"Welcome to the Creed's Eye!" A jolly man dressed in a lab suit greeted. "I'm Director Cooper. I trust you have the stone?" He asked, running over his sentences. He was of a slightly stocky build and was balding quite quickly.

"Yes, it's right here," Harry said taking the stone out of his pocket and handing it to the man.

"Good man!" He said taking it from Harry carefully. "You are Harry I presume?" he asked and Harry nodded. "Simply wonderful! Nick has told me all about you!" He turned to the rest of the group. "Please, follow me. We have arranged for you to stay the night. I was told your trip might have been rather hectic."

"You can't imagine," Alan muttered. "Can we have a quick tour?" he asked perking up slightly.

"I don't see why not!" Cooper answered, giddy as ever. "Let me show you some of the highlights of the lab. Right this way, come quickly now," Cooper said, ushering the group into a large door. "This here is the basic weapons division of the lab. We develop type one weapons here and experiment with handguns and magic. The cluster over there is where we repair any damaged wands, weapons and etc. Now if you step to your right and follow me, I can show you where the Spell creation division is," Cooper paused. "On second thought, let's leave them be. Grouchy bunch they can be," he said turning away from his previous destination.

"Can we go to our rooms please?" Grey asked, yawning while leaning on Harry and Alan for support. If Cooper found her behavior rude, he didn't show it.

"Of course young lady, you seem simply drained! Some sleep will do you all good. Be wary that none of you can perform any magic outside your rooms," He warned before showing them to their suites. Harry, Alan and Ed shared a rather large suite while Suki and Grey shared a much smaller one. Not that Grey cared; she simply fell prey to sleep as soon as she touched the mattress.

"It's been a long day," Harry said sipping a nice warm cup of coffee.

"It has," Alan agreed and Suki nodded sleepily.

"I'm going to turn in," she said, leaving the three guys alone.

"Coward," Ed muttered disgustedly to Alan before moving towards his room.

Alan shrugged, clearly not perturbed by the malice in his friend's voice.

**A/N: How was that? I think it went a lot faster than my usual chapters. Next chapter is a mile stone and I will try to make it longer. **

**So opinions and other feedback would be nice, I await your ideas for the next chapter**

**Till I write again….**


	40. The Return

**Chapter 39**

"You five should get back to the Island as soon as possible," Cooper told them. They had all slept well into the afternoon after their exhausting mission. "I hear that something is waiting for you" he added with a not so subtle wink.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Suki said with a smile. The others nodded as well.

"It was nothing really!" Cooper said, rubbing the back of his head. A small explosion was heard from the testing ward. "Oh dear," Cooper squeaked and scurried towards the noise. The five followed closely. A man was lying on his back, his left arm charred badly and a small machine lying next to him. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. He seemed quite amicable

"Sorry Dr. Cooper!" the man said embarrassed. "I shouldn't have tested the device so quickly." Cooper sighed, but kept a smile on.

"Nonsense West, you simply got overexcited there. We'll have to get you to the Island for some medical care right away," he said turning to the five. "Would you lot mind taking him along?"

"No problem!" Grey chirped.

"Thank you," he said. He got up with the help of the Director and walked over to the wall where he replaced the machine. Along it, five other machines similar to his were lined.

"What are those?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"These are the latest weapons the Creed has been trying to develop. They can fire spells that have been incubated in capsules without leaving magical residue," West explained expertly. "Care for a sample? I should warn you, these don't work yet. We've almost perfected them, but they can't take more than a stunner or they combust." He said, throwing one to Harry.

"Thanks," he responded.

"Well off you go now!" The director reminded. "You have to get back as soon as you can!"

"Thanks Dr. Cooper, for all your help!" Alan called as they left the lab.

_**At the Island **_

"Welcome back," Nick greeted as the six arrived. "And I see you brought along West."

"Hello Nick," he said, sounding less than happy to see the man.

"I trust you know where the medical house is by now," Nick said staring at the man's wound critically. West nodded, and left as quickly as he could manage. Nick turned to the five. "Congratulations, you have officially passed your entrance exam into the Creed. All of you will have received your welcome baskets by now. I would hurry home." He suggested, and they did.

Harry burst into his room to find a briefcase on his bed. It had his initials on the lock, and with a tap of his wand, it clicked open. Inside wee various documents, a badge and an ID card for the creed.

"There are four passports in there," Nick said. He had arrived silently and his sudden appearance made Harry jump.

"Where the hell did you come from?" He asked startled.

"The door," Nick answered, "Now as I was saying, you have four passports. One for the creed under your original name, and three wizarding international passports (WIP). The three are under different names, or your new aliases. Learn then, breathe them live them. You have actual responsibilities now, and you can check with me once a week if you need help. "Have fun," he added before turning around and disappearing.

It had turned out that the briefcase had told them what their quota for the organization was and the terms of taking any job privately. The five met and walked to the Center together to choose their first jobs. As level E members, they had a very limited array of choices.

"The best job here is to go find someone's cat!" Alan said, frustrated with the lack of excitement available.

"Found one!" Grey yelled, grabbing a piece of paper from the board. "Accept," she muttered tapping her wand to the paper, and it disappeared.

"What did you get?" Alan asked excitedly.

"All I have to do is run a pub for a few hours," she said smiling. Alan sighed.

"Boring!" he muttered and went back to searching. Harry silently agreed. In the end, he chose to take care of someone's snake for a week, a fairly easy task for a parselmouth.

The next day, a falcon woke Harry. In its talons it had a letter, a letter with the Potter crest.

_Come back immediately Harry!!_

_Thomas Potter_

Harry's eyes widened. The letter seemed to have been written quickly and had traces of tears on it. Something was wrong. He needed to get back right away.

Storming into the kitchen, determined to find anyone to talk to, he found Suki.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked seeing the look on his face.

"I need to go home now," he said quickly. "Do you know how I can get back?" he asked.

"The WIP allows you to go anywhere you need to. Simply hold it an apparate. In order to come back you'll need the Creed Passport too," she added. "Hope everything's all right," Harry thanked her and ran to his room. He grabbed the documents and the snake he was supposed to take care of and apparated to his home in London.

He arrived in the living room. The quiet suggested no one was home, which was perfect for him. He ran to Isaac's quarters and deposited the snake with his old friend.

"_Hello Harry," _The basilisk greeted.

"_Hi Isaac, I will return soon. Can you take care of him?" _Harry asked pointing to the small snake.

"_It will be done. Return quickly," _Isaac said and Harry nodded his thanks. He apparated to the Potter's house, and knocked on the door. He was greeted by one of the last people he wanted to see- Ron Weasley.

"What are _you _doing here?" he sneered.

"I'm wondering the same thing," he said as he shoved Ron out of the way. "Where's Thomas?"

"Upstairs," the redhead said grudgingly. Harry made to the stairs and walked up. Something was wrong. There were people in the master bedroom, but there was near complete silence. He opened the door to see Aliss and Hermione comforting a very tearful Thomas. Draco was hiding in the background of the room, and everyone was very surprised to see Harry.

"You came," Thomas whispered as Harry neared him.

"What happened?" He asked quietly. He had no reason to start a fight.

"Mum and dad…they…they were… killed!" Thomas got out. "By V-v-voldemort," he spat, through sobs. Harry was shocked; his parents had been murdered.

"What?" he said quietly. He could scarcely belief it. Sure he had never been too close to them, but they were his parents and the grudging relationship that was forged by his birth would never be erased. Only a single tear fell from his eye.

"Harry, you okay?" Draco asked, moving towards his old friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said, shaking it off. He wasn't going to wear his heart on his sleeve. "I'm going to go." He announced and nodded to his brother. Thomas turned his head and looked directly into Harry's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice filled with misery and regrets. Harry nodded.

"It was good seeing you," he said and left the house. Draco followed closely.

As soon as they arrived home, Harry punched a wall to relieve his pent up anger. There was no doubt that he had disliked his parents, but it didn't stop him from directing his anger towards voldemort. That stupid dark lord and the prophecy- because of them he had suffered. Had they not existed, he would have lived a simple, normal life. Voldemort would pay, with every fiber of his being.

"Harry its okay to let it our," Draco said gently

"Nothing to let out Draco," Harry said calmly. He had regained his composure. "So tell me, what's been going on here?"

"Well we all have jobs, and we live quite well off them. Voldemort has gained power quite a bit with Dumbledore gone. The Order of the Phoenix is dwindling without their leader and that's about it," He said. "How's it going with you?"

"Nothing special, its just weird auror training," Harry said nonchalantly. The sound of the door opening and footsteps cut off their conversation. Theo walked into the room hurriedly.

"Draco, the minister of magic's been murdered!" He said before looking into the room. "Hey there Harry. Sorry to hear about your parents."

"Hey there Theo," Harry answered. "You were saying?"

"Oh yes," Theo said remembering. "The minister was killed just an hour ago. Causes of death are unknown, but the dark mark was found over his house. His replacement has already been chosen, but everyone is saying it's a death eater."

"Not likely," Harry muttered. "It'll be a puppet, like an innocent being controlled. Voldemort would play it like that."

"I reckon you're right," Draco said, "But what now? The game's over."

"Not entirely over. We still have Thomas," Harry said with a smirk.

"So?" Theo and Draco asked simultaneously. "He's a moron, you said it yourself. Snape has a higher chance of getting laid by a veela." Draco pointed out.

"Hey, you never know," he muttered halfheartedly. It was a stretch to imagine a silly Gryffindor like Thomas actually killing voldemort. "So what's been going on lately?"

"Not much, I told you the basic news," Draco said, but then lit up. "But on the other front, things are a bit more interesting. Hermione and I are thinking of moving in together soon and Aliss is going out with Thomas."

Harry stared at him. "You're moving in with _Granger_?" he said in disbelieve. "Here??" Draco nodded. "And Aliss and Thomas again?" Draco nodded again. "Wow, I'm glad I'm gone!"

"You know, I think you've had a little crush on Aliss since Hogwarts," Theo said slyly. Harry didn't fall into the trap.

"Perhaps for a little while, but it never lasted. The last think I want is a silly Gryffindor who cant stand on her own." Harry countered. "Where's Daphne?" He asked, noticing the absence of his childhood friend.

"She left on some business. I think she'll be back in a few days," Theo said.

"Well, if you two don't mind, I'm going to retire to my room till dinner," Harry said getting up.

"Good seeing you mate," Draco called as he left. Harry went straight to Isaac's chamber to find the basilisk lying lazily, one eye open.

"Hello Isaac," Harry said softly.

"You have returned. What have you found?" Isaac asked sagaciously.

"My parents have been killed," he answered, looking to the ground.

"And you are angry," It wasn't a question. "You seek revenge, but you don't know why."

"Yes," Harry answered. "I believed that I hated my parents, yet I feel enraged toward voldemort and wish to seek revenge, but I don't understand why."

"You may not have felt love towards them, but after their death, the primitive value of your nature comes forth. No matter how you see it, you shared blood with them and thus feel it in your capacity to avenge them," Isaac told Harry. "Had they died naturally, you wouldn't feel remotely interested in their deaths, simply because you didn't care for them. In this case however, the spurred act of murder by a man who had previously harmed you creates a situation where you now have a reason to go after him."

"Interesting theory," Harry muttered to himself before getting up. "I really should be getting back now. I'll return as often as I can from now on." He promised, but Isaac stopped him.

"Have dinner with your friends. It will please them," Isaac advised. Harry nodded and walked upstairs to the kitchen.

**A/N: Yeah, not exactly what I promised. The more important part was originally an extension of this chapter, but I felt that it would fit in as its own chapter a bit more smoothly. **

**In order to kill some of the surprise, I'll announce some of the happenings. After this, we will zoom ahead a few years, Harry will get together with someone and voldemort will come back into the plot as well as a few people from Hogwarts. **

**To answer someone about the "weakness" of Harry: he's by no means weak. He has the mind of a genius, but he lacks the experience. I am being totally realistic with this as opposed to your idealistic version of a "omniscient godlike" Harry. With time comes wisdom and with experience comes true knowledge. Wait for it and it shall come. **

**So, comment on however you felt the chapter came out. Note that the device Harry took from the lab will be coming up in the next chapter, and many other things as well. I just have to calculate the timeline. **

**Oh, and very soon, someone will die (snickers quietly) **

**Have fun with that!**


	41. 1 Year Later

**Chapter 40**

**Recap: **So far, Harry has graduated from Hogwarts very proficient at Arithmancy and Transfiguration. He has learned a few things from Dumbledore, but has rarely put them into use. Yes, everyone who was wondering, he has completed his animagus transformation and has also completed another little trick with the animagus I will reveal later (no, it's not something unbelievable like two forms or the ability to give birth… well I might reconsider on the giving birth, I'm kidding… or am I?) I digress; so onward, Harry is accepted to this society located over the US. The Society is very selective (called the Creed) and is ruled by some type of monarch, well a single head authority anyway and this person is called the Kaiser. Under him are two people, his advisors (one of which is Nick) and under them are another 5, very similar to a cabinet. So in all, the top 8 in the organization are very important. The rest is pretty forward. After a few missions, he has become a real member and that brings us up to speed. Yes, I have decided who will be Harry's pairing, and NO this is NOT a slash. And so we can continue,

While I wrote this chapter, I listened to the song "Let it Rock," Ft Lil Wayne and the superbowl. Thus I dedicate this chapter to James Harrison and the song Let it Rock. Now without further delay:

_**1 year later:**_

A man with a trench coat, blond hair and glasses walked slowly down the busy streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. The lights flashed around him as people rejoiced in the moonlight. Kids were running amuck along the street in front of the many casinos. The man came to a stop in front of one of the more prominent ones- Caesars Palace. His green eyes shone as a ray of light flashed across his glasses.

Walking in, he checked in his coat. An older gentleman greeted him at the door.

"This is the advance; try to enjoy yourself with it," he whispered into the green-eyed man's ear while handing him a briefcase. He nodded silently and as the gentleman left, he walked up to the front desk.

"May I have $1,000,000 in chips?" he asked quietly, flipping open the briefcase and taking out half its contents. The receptionist nodded and handed him what he had requested in a rather small bucket. He nodded his thanks and walked over to the third poker table. A seat was open next to a rather portly looking woman.

"Welcome to the table," the dealer muttered to him. He nodded and the first hand began. Two cards landing in front of him. He lifted the edges slightly revealing two nines, both red.

"I'm in," he said, his face betraying no emotion. This was a job, not a vacation, but there was no reason he couldn't win a few bucks. Besides, he had a new trick he wanted to test out. The flop came out; three kings. A very unlikely hand as well as an extremely dangerous one. Quietly, he reached into the minds of the other four players who still held cards. One of them had the final king. This would be interesting.

"I raise $5000," the man with the king asserted. Only one woman called- her and the green-eyed man. The next card came out, and the bet was increased to $50,000. This time only the green-eyed man called. The final card-the river- was next. The man with the king smiled. "I raise to $100, 000,"

The man smiled back. "I raise to $200,000," he said quietly. The man with the king sneered at him.

"$400,000" he said arrogantly. "You're ten years too young to try to bluff against me!" he asserted, but the man kept pushing. His haunting green eyes turned to stone, and the man with the king lost resolve.

"$500,000," he said, and the man with the king broke down.

"I fold," he said quietly, throwing in his cards. The green eyed man smiled; the new trick had worked perfectly and he had made $400,000. His task was not yet complete- he still had not found the man he sought. But it was odd, the man should have been here quite a while ago. While his mind wandered, a man joined the table. His had rather pale skin, with eyes full of greed.

"Sir!" the dealer's cry drew the man out of his own mind. "Sir, do you call?"

The man looked at his cards; an ace and jack, both spades. This was a perfect hand. "I'll call," he said to the waiting dealer.

The cards were out. This time only two others were in the hand; the portly woman and the newcomer. The newcomer had a two and a seven- a very weak hand while the lady had a pair of nines, both black. The flop was dealt. A three, a seven and an ace came out. After the green eyed man placed his first bet, the portly woman folded leaving the man and the newcomer to finish.

'Is this the man?' he asked himself, 'Is this the Lucky Seven?' The Lucky Seven was a notorious wizard known for playing muggle card games and cheating using various forms of magic, one being Legilimency. The hand reached $300,000. This was it.

"Show your cards," the dealer said to the players.

"Two pair, aces and queens," the man said looking to the newcomer. If he was truly Lucky Seven, he would have three sevens.

"Too bad, you were close with that," the newcomer said. "Triple sevens," he revealed his cards with a toothy grin. The man smiled, happily handing over the money.

"I've been beaten, I'll return another day," he said, taking his remaining chips and leaving. Now all that was left was to cash them in and wait, exactly what he did. He grabbed a seat in the bar and ordered a scotch.

Several minutes later, the newcomer who had beaten him walked in. Just like always, the man observed from the shadows. Now all that was left was to finish the job quietly. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. Several minutes later, a waiter came to talk to the newcomer, and the two walked out together. This was his chance. Leaving his drink and a generous tip, the man followed carefully, one hand tucked discreetly in his pocket fingering the trigger of a revolver. As the newcomer approached the parking lot, the waiter turned around to resume his post. The man followed closely. As soon as there was no one around, he grabbed the newcomer by the neck and with a pop disappeared into the dark night.

The two reappeared in an empty room, and with a wave of the man's hand, the newcomer was bound and on the floor, writhing in pain. What appeared to be a glass of water was placed next to him.

"Welcome Mr. Kruz," the man said.

"You're a wizard too?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"Stop asking foolish questions," the man snapped. "I only brought you here for a simple purpose," he said pulling out his gun. "Drink the water. I offer all my victims a last drink," the man said.

"DIE!" Kruz yelled, flicking his finger towards the man. A dagger formed midair and hit the man clean in the left leg. Poison oozed from the blade, but the man only staggered.

"Big mistake," the man said with a cruel smile.

A haunted look came across Kruz's face. "Shadow," he whispered before a gunshot rang out in the air. Kruz's head lulled to the side, blood flowing freely from his temple and the man long gone.

Harry limped into Suki's medical room on the Island.

"I could use some help," he said softly, knocking on the door to her office.

"Again? Can't you ever come back and not knock on my door?" Suki asked pointing toward the bed. "What the hell did that?" she asked pointing at the wound on his left leg.

"A dagger," he told her cheerily. "What kind of poison is that?" he asked curiously. If it was snake poison, he would have easily shaken it off, but this poison seemed different.

"I'm not sure. It seems homemade; there are faint traces of snake venom here, but there's something else. Let me see…" she muttered flipping through her journal. "Does it hurt when I do this?" She asked punching the wound. Harry shook his head. She picked up a scalpel and without warning slashed across the wounded area.

Instead of yelling, Harry laughed. "That tickled!" he complained and she scratched her head.

"You're numb," she said in realization. "That poison is going to paralyze your leg soon,"

"What?" Harry said in shock. "But I feel fine."

"Shut up and help me. Here's a sheet of paper; I want you to write down how your leg feels. If it ever feels like it's pulsing, call me immediately. I have to take these down to lab for testing." She said quickly.

"Make sure you ask Donald to do it!" Harry called after her. "He knows this stuff better than anyone!" she waved him off and left.

It was interesting how so much had changed in a little over a year. Harry had risen farther up in the Creed than he could have imagined. He had become a master of disguise, the man of a thousand faces. This mastery of stealth had given him his nickname- shadow. The name was derived from his ever changing face. No one, outside of a select group, knew shadow's real face. The only one in his house to have reached the same rank as him was Ed. The others had found there own niches, especially Al, who had finally mastered his spiritual training (despite his short attention span) and was now very adept at seeing. He would have risen quite far as well, but he had no desire to do more than what was asked of him unless he needed the extra cash.

The most drastic change however was the addition of a new member to their numbers- and eleven year old named Sylvia. She was a very affectionate girl with light brown hair and black eyes that bore into you. Though she was young, she was extremely good at magic and could easily match many adults in a duel.

"Got it!" Suki called, running into the room with a vial. "Here's the antidote!" she said handing it to him. Harry uncorked it and downed the entire bottle.

"OWWWWWWWWWWCH!!!" he screamed as it began to work. "Why the hell is this so painful?" he asked a wincing Suki.

"Well, you may not have felt any pain when your wound was numb, but as soon as the medicine took effect, all the pain you should have felt came to you in that instant," she said giving him a small bottle. "Eat this and you'll feel less pain."

"What are these?" He asked shaking the bottle.

"The best pain meds we have," she responded. "You're done here" she added and he nodded his thanks and made to leave. It was four in the morning, and he had to be at the lab in a few hours.

"No sense in sleeping today," he muttered to himself. The walk back to the house was quiet and peaceful. Harry knew however that the house would be fairly empty. Ed and Gray still had assignments to take care of and Suki was doing her time at the medical center. Only Alan was home with Sylvia.

"Harry?" a sleepy voice came from the staircase.

"Yeah Syl, go back to sleep," Harry answered quietly so as not to wake Alan.

"'kay," she responded.

__________

"You're late sir," a boy roughly a year younger than Harry said to him as he entered the lab.

"I'm well aware Gregory," Harry said as he walked briskly, Gregory joining his side. "What do I have scheduled for the day?" The boy served almost as a secretary for Harry, and in exchange, Harry offered to help the boy master a higher level of arithmancy.

"You have to teach the new lab workers how to differentiate and integrate advanced arithmantic fluctuations, and then you have to give your presentation on the Wand Hand that the lab finished. You also have a meeting with Cooper afterwards," the boy read off from his notes. Harry swore.

"That presentation is today? I haven't prepared anything! Do you have my notes?" Harry asked, increasing his pace. The boy nodded and withdrew a notebook from his lab coat's pocket.

"I have your notebook, but I doubt they'll be of any help. You practically wrote them in gibberish!" Gregory pointed out. Harry just smiled.

"It took me over a year to master this thing, I'm not about to leave my notes lying around for any idiot to use. Tricks of the trade Greg" He said with a wink. "Obscurus!" he exclaimed, and the gibberish disappeared leaving a very legible set of notes.

"A scrambling charm? A ten year old could decode that!" Greg exclaimed. "I tried everything but that!"

"Occam's razor Greg. The simplest solution is often correct." Harry lectured. "That and the fact that people tend to overlook the obvious," They arrived at Harry's office. "Do me a favor and cover the lecture will ya?" Harry asked before closing the door on Greg's face, leaving a very irate boy in the hall.

"Holy shit…" Harry said to himself as he sat down to prepare whatever he could.

"… and so the Wand Hand is device which can be slipped onto either hand and can cast spells in battle. No magic is required. All you need is the device and a spell capsule and… BAM!" Harry concluded by firing a spell from the mechanism. This was what he had worked on for the past year and it was finally complete. "Any questions?" When no one responded, he nodded and made to leave the room.

"I'm sorry Nick, but I can't let you see him right now!" he heard West yelling down the hall.

"Come on West, I really need to talk to him!" Nick complained.

"He's in a meeting!" West pressed angrily.

"What's the problem here?" Harry asked finally revealing himself.

"Just the man I needed to see. Care to join me for some coffee?" Nick asked. "I'm buying."

"Sure," Harry said smiling.

They arrived at a small muggle coffee shop and grabbed a few drinks.

"So what's this about?" Harry asked taking a sip of the drink.

"I can't check up on my old pupil from time to time?" Nick asked innocently.

"Nope," Harry responded.

"I need help," Nick said, stirring his coffee.

"You?" Harry asked incredulously. "From me?"

"No, from that donkey across the street," Nick answered sarcastically.

"There's a donkey across the street?" Harry asked turning to look.

"Get serious! Look, I finally found a new branch of magic that needs study and you can help me establish some data on it!" Nick said. The idea was appealing.

"I'm listening,"

"Not here," Nick said and without warning, grabbed Harry and apparated to a small meadow with trees and what appeared to be conjured dummies. "Look carefully at this. A disarming spell can disarm dummy A," to emphasize this, he fired a quick one. "Similarly, a stunner can stun,"

"Shocking," Harry said dryly.

"But," Nick continued, ignoring Harry and taking out a second wand. "A stunner and a disarming spell don't just disarm and stun."

"What do they do?" Harry asked curiously.

"Watch," Nick said and fired one of each spell simultaneously. The two collided on the way to the dummy and combined. When they hit, the dummy flew into the air, landing with a burn mark where the spell hit and a fair amount of damage. Harry was certain that if a human had taken the hit, it would have been devastating physically.

"Interesting," Harry muttered. He leaned down to examine the damage.

"Any idea why that happens?" Nick asked, squatting down next to him. Harry thought. After a few minutes, he figured it out.

"When the two spells combine, their equations combine. The end result should be a stunned and disarmed dummy. That however only works in theory. In life, there is an addition of energy to the spell because of the collision. The sum of the parts is less than the whole," Harry lectured. Nick nodded.

"I need you to figure out what these 8 combinations do. I don't want any disastrous results by trying them," Nick said. "I trust you can do them?" Harry nodded.

"Give me some time. These aren't your average spells," Harry pointed out. Nick nodded as he got up to leave.

"I'm headed out now; I have to get back to the head offices," He said grabbing his coat. "Oh, before I forget," he began and took a letter out of his pocket. It was addressed to Harry and the rest of his house. "Read it together," he advised before walking out.

**Back home:**

"I'm home," Harry called as he walked into the house. He was extremely anxious to open the letter, and it refused to open unless all addressees were present. He was answered by a shrilly screech from the upstairs. "What the hell was that?" he asked, moving towards the stairs.

"Hi Harry!" he was greeted by Sylvia.

"What was that screech?" Harry asked her, and she looked away.

"T-that was me!" She said, seemingly thinking it up on the fly. Harry shrugged and walked past her to Alan's room. There he saw the weirdest thing he had ever seen.

"What the hell is _that_?" Harry asked pointing at a small golden-furred creature that was most definitely magical.

"Hi Harry!" Al greeted. "Isn't it cute?" he asked, holding up the creature.

"What is it?" Harry asked again.

"A baby sphinx!" Al answered cheerily. "I found his egg while you guys were gone. It hatched today! I'm going to keep him," Al announced hugging the sphinx. Oddly enough, the sphinx seemed to like Al.

"Whatever, where's everyone else?" Harry asked.

"Everyone's in the basement. Ed was getting a few drinks out earlier to celebrate. He just finished a huge assignment with an amazing payoff. He was muttering something about getting some kind of car, a Muzer-watsit…" He trailed off. "Anyway, you got anything?"

"Yeah, a letter for all of us…" he said taking it out of his pocket. "Have any idea what it's about?"

"Not a clue…" Al said nervously. "It couldn't be about Eggy could it?" he asked looking at his new pet.

"Creative," Harry said dryly, "and it's unlikely that they would kick him out. I'm going to the basement, come along," Harry said motioning for Al to follow.

In the basement, Ed was slowly nursing a glass of red wine, while the two girls were each having a martini. "Harry," Suki greeted him, "how's the leg?"

"Fine so far," Harry said. "Listen, I got a letter from Nick for all of us, any idea what it's about?" he asked, everyone shrugged

"Best way to find out is to read it," Ed said, snatching it away from Harry. Pulling out a dagger, he neatly slashed the side of the envelope and let the letter fall into his hands. It was typed with the Creed's seal on it. This was important. "Interesting…" Ed muttered. "Get this- payout is 90,000,000 Galleons and we get to keep 35% as a tip! Plus, all we have to do is kill a few morons. It's a bounty hunt," he said slightly drunkenly.

"Sounds good, so what's the time bar?" Gray asked

"Let's see, we have thirteen hits to do in a … 2 year period!?!?" Ed read, re-reading it to make sure it was correct. "Wow this is less than a hit a month and its fully paid along with a house in… oh this is rich, England!" Ed laughed maniacally. "Going home for a bit are we?" he joked, but Harry's mind flew. 90 million was an extraordinary amount of money for anyone and the only one whose head would have a bounty was…

"What are the target names?" Harry asked frantically. Ed fumbled a bit. "Give me the NAMES!" Harry said again.

"Relax Potter," Ed said cooly, "Okay, we have James McDriggle, Forest Montague, Larry Lycus, Violet Flores, Lloyd Patterson, Arnold Dranull, Victor Blake, Michael Schwartz, Kingston Flood, Roy Jackson, Nolan Foyer, Bellatrix LeStange aaaaaaand, a name I can't read," he announced and Harry let out a breathe. Only one death eater was on the list. He could live with that. "Can you read this here?"

Harry looked at the last name. It was no wonder that Ed couldn't read it. Whoever wrote it had atrocious handwriting and seemed to have fought with the paper. Soon it became clear what the name was though. It dawned on Harry that the same person wrote these names, and that the reason the last name was so sloppy wasn't because of poor penmanship, but because of extreme fear. The last name, there was no doubt, was Voldemort.

**A/N: Wow that took a while to finish. I worked on this for a whole week, but didn't get a chance to edit, because it is to date, my longest chapter… I think.. **

**Anyway, what did you think? For once I think I fit a lot into a single chapter, though it may have seemed like I had started a new story at first. I feel this is a nice segue back to the Hogwartians and the Order of the Phoenix, wouldn't you say? **

**I worked pretty hard on this chapter, so it would be extremely nice of you to give me some feedback on it. **

**Till I write again…**


	42. Carry me Home

**Chapter 41**

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Harry screamed, storming into Nick's office.

"That would be your assignment I presume?" Nick said looking at the paper.

"Why did this come to us?" He asked brashly. "There are more qualified veterans to do this aren't there?"

"I frankly don't know why you got this. It isn't my job to assign this stuff, so I don't understand why you came to me," Nick said shortly. "It is however your job to do whatever that paper tells you."

"And if I refuse?" Harry asked.

"You won't," Nick promised. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish."

Harry nodded and left the room, his anger slightly abated. Suddenly, a hand reached out and pulled him off his course. It was Al's.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Al asked. "That cash value there is HUGE!"

The rest of the house nodded. "We wouldn't need to take a job for three years and the expenses are all paid for by the Organization. It's like a vacation!" Gray added, hands on her hips.

"Why don't you want to do it?" Suki asked gently.

"It's the last name on the list," Ed said gruffly. "That name means something to you doesn't it?" he asked. "Is it one of your friends, your relatives, someone you care about?" He asked, his voice filled with a bitter edge.

"Not even close," Harry said finally. "That man is invincible. That's why we have two years, not because some rich ass brits have nothing better to do with their money. You should have realized that when you saw the payoff," his fist clenched.

"No one is invincible," Ed answered coldly. "And if you feel intimidated so easily, then you're just as useless as Al."

"What about the house? What about Sylvia?" he asked looking to the small girl. She smiled.

"I can come too!" She said gleefully. "I know enough magic to beat Al in a duel, so I should be fine," she said and the others nodded.

"Give it a chance, it's a great opportunity for us. Besides, this assignment will kick me and Gray up a few ranks," Suki said. Harry sighed.

"Fine, I'll go," he said, defeat in his voice. The others cheered.

"Not to interrupt, but isn't the flight tomorrow?" Sylvia asked checking her watch. They gasped.

"She's right," Ed muttered. "Settle your affairs and me and Potter will go get the rest of the assignment packet. Come on," he said to Harry motioning for him to walk alongside him. After they had walked a fair distance, Ed began talking again. "Who is this guy?"

"Who?" Harry asked feigning ignorance.

"That Lord dude with the weird name. He some rich guy?" Ed asked gruffly. Harry laughed.

"Not even close," he muttered.

"Then tell me who he is to you," Ed pressed.

"He's a criminal of sorts," Harry answered.

"So, what's that got to do with anything?"

"He's notorious for killing people without thought," Harry added nonchalantly. Ed wasn't phased.

"So? We do that all the time. Murder isn't something to fear."

"He's taken over Britain, killed the most powerful wizard in Britain and know magic beyond our wildest dreams," Harry added.

"So?" Ed asked.

"This isn't some nut job, this is a Dark Lord. He practically runs an empire, has an army!"

"You think he's strong?" Ed asked bluntly.

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I'll kill him and bring you back his head on my sword," Ed promised as they approached the building.

"I'd like to see you try," Harry muttered, but Ed had already closed the door behind him leaving Harry alone outside.

**The Next Day:**

"Where's my suit?"

"Did I forget something?"

"Al! Give me back my panties you pervert!"

"Why the hell is Sylvia in a suitcase?"

"They don't allow swords on muggle planes Ed…"

These were the cries that could be heard throughout the house as the final countdown till the flight began. Finally, it was time to apparate to the airport. Just before they took off, Sylvia turned to Harry.

"Harry, can you walk with me to my room? I think I forgot something," She muttered cutely. Harry sighed and picked her up and walked the path. When they were out of sight, Sylvia whispered into Harry's ear. "Something happened to Al," she said discreetly "he had some kind of dream a few weeks ago and it shocked him."

Harry's eyes widened. These dreams were usually Al's visions "Did you figure out what the dream was about?" Sylvia nodded.

"Al kept mumbling about seeing the end of the world and some explosion. Do you think the world's going to blow up?" She asked seriously.

"I don't know," Harry said seriously. "Thanks for telling me though you did the right thing," Harry said and turned to walk back.

JFK was packed as usual and the six of them struggled to get where they were going. The airplane ride was boring enough. Harry took a sleeping drought so he wouldn't have to bear the annoying nine hour trip.

"Hello London!" Al said stretching after the long flight. "Hey Ed, who's supposed to pick us up?"

"Some Phoenix people according to the sheet I got. We're supposed to work with them,"

"The order of the Phoenix?" Harry asked. This was getting worse and worse.

"Hello Mr. Potter, what brings you here?" a woman asked from behind them. Harry recognized the voice as…

"Professor McGonagall," He said turning around slowly. "You look well."

"As do you, but again to my previous point, what brings you to a muggle airport?"

"We're looking for our escort Ma'am," Grey said politely, but with a slight edge in her voice.

"Grey, I think she IS our escort…" Harry said putting his face in the palm of his hand. This was going to be a long week.

"Then I presume you six would be the ones who were hired?" McGonagall asked. Harry felt like he was a first year once again. "Well then, please follow me," she said, and with a practiced swagger, she walked them to a nearby car. It was magically enlarged, most likely by Weasley Senior.

"Who is at the head of the order now professor?" Harry asked curiously. It was an honest question.

"I am," she replied tersely, "though I am nowhere near as proficient at leading the order as Albus was, but no one else was willing to take up the mantle."

"And Hogwarts?" Harry asked carefully.

"Professor Snape is the Headmaster at the moment," she replied, her voice not betraying any emotions.

"So where exactly are we going?" Al asked, his eyes closed.

"We are going to a safe-house we use as Headquarters. You will all need to read this to enter," McGonagall said as she pulled out a small piece of paper. Harry recognized Dumbledore's handwriting on the slip.

They arrived at Grimmauld place shortly after. "Follow me please, there is a meeting of the Order and you are expected," she said motioning to the meeting room. Taking a quick peek beyond the door, Harry saw a lot of familiar faces. Among them he saw his old classmates such as Aliss, Thomas, Granger, Weasley and a few Ravenclaws. The others he could pick out were Fletcher from Knockturn Alley, Sirius and a good few Aurors.

"Attention everyone!" McGonagall said, causing the chatter to cease immediately. She seemed to be getting the hang of taking charge. "The guests we have requested to assist us have arrived," At that moment, all six of them entered the room.

"These are the people we paid that much money for?" A man Harry knew as Mad-eye Moody complained. "They're barely out of diapers this lot!" Someone Harry did not recognize stood up and answered the man.

"Then Alastor, why don't you duel of them?" The stranger suggested. "I'm fairly certain that you won't win," that was the moment Harry recognized the voice. It was his old teacher, Severus Snape. But why was he incognito?

"That's what I'll do, beat the lot of them," Alastor muttered. "Which one of you rugrats wants to go first?" he asked, taking out his wand. Grey leaned over to the others and whispered.

"How funny would it be if Sylvia beat this old codger? He would be humiliated," she said to them and they all smiled wickedly.

"No," Harry said firmly. "I want to beat him," he said with great conviction. Ed smiled secretly.

"Fine with me," he said, "but if you lose Potter, I'm going to slash your head off."

"Deal," Harry said. "Alright Moody, set your rules," Harry said, his hand reaching for his wand.

"First man to lose his wand loses," Moody said drawing his own wand. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled without warning. Harry blocked it without thinking.

"I heard you were legendary Moody. Is this all you've got?" Harry mocked. He wanted Moody and everyone else to see what he had picked up.

"I'll show you boy!" he grumbled. His spells came more quickly and this time he used silent curses. It made now difference to Harry as all the curses were predictable and avoidable.

"Now it's my turn," Harry said with a gleam in his eye. "I'm going to take this fight into your mind," he whispered to himself, but Moody heard it. He prepared a shield in his mind. Harry smiled. I wouldn't hold against him. He broke in with ease. Moody's mind was fairly open. It looked like an empty field with Moody standing armed in the middle.

"Why the hell did you come here Potter? Leave now or this could get dangerous," he warned. "This is in fact my mind, I have the home advantage," he said with a smirk

"I know what I'm doing Moody," he answered cockily.

"Bit cocky aren't you?"

"I'm not cocky, I'm confident," he said with arrogance. But he had all the reason to be so, as he was Dumbledore's protégé, as oddly repulsive as that sounded.

"AGUAMENTI!" He screamed pointing his water into the air. The power he put into the spell was evident as a giant geyser of water burst from his wand, causing a huge downpour.

"I ain't made of paper lad," Moody said gruffly, "Water can't do much to me!"

"How about ice?" Harry asked. With a wave of his wand, all the drops of water that were falling upon Moody turned into shards of ice. Moody yelped in pain as they began to pierce his neck and face. Without further adieu, he conjured a shield to reflect the shards away from him.

"You're creative, I'll give you that," He said with an eerie smile.

"I'm not done," Harry said with a sly grin. With another wave of his wand, the water began to mold together into a shape that resembled a lion. The shards of ice that were left came together on the surface of the water creating an hydrolic ice shelled lion. "Sic 'im," Harry ordered and the feline obeyed. Moody was helpless.

As Harry watched Moody fall to the ground, he slipped out of his mind and came back to his own body. The "real" Moody was down on the floor, breathing heavily and holding his wand loosely. Harry walked over and picked it out of his hand slowly.

"D-Dumbledore," was the only word that Moody could get out. "For a second, I swore that I was dueling Albus," He said after regaining his senses.

"I win," he said twirling the wand idly.

"Now that we have that matter settled, why don't we discuss the situation with our guests?" McGonagall offered so as to divert attention from the fallen Moody. "Would you like to begin Miller?" she asked, addressing a nearby auror. He nodded and picked up a sheet of paper.

"These names we gave you are of very important targets. We need you to find them, learn anything you can about them, what ticks they have, what they enjoy or dislike and all that, and then kill them…" The Auror trailed off, clearly nervous. He looked to the Transfiguration teacher for permission to sit down.

"Very well," McGonagall sighed. "You six are strongly urged to attend order meetings as well," she said sternly. "Now coming to the matter of your lodgings," she began. "You will have a small safe-house of ours to stay. It is only a matter of seven or eight minutes on a broom from here. As an alternative, one of you may stay at Hogwarts and take up the Defense against the Dark Arts position. You will be paid for that job separately of course." At this, they all perked up, save Harry.

"I'll take it professor!" Al immediately volunteered. The professor nodded.

"Excellent," she said. "I presume the rest of you will be staying in the safe-house?" she asked. Harry shook his head, while the other four nodded. "Then Mr. Potter, where do you presume to be staying?"

"At the residence of a friend. I can leave a floo address here in case I need to be contacted of course," he said politely. "I do have one more request," he added.

"And that would be?" McGonagall asked raising an eyebrow.

"Take Sylvia in as a Hogwarts student. She is very well versed in defense, but she has part of her education to complete in the areas of transfiguration, charms, potions and herbology. Of course, I would advise placing her at higher levels than an average first year," Harry said. The Deputy Headmistress nodded.

"Very well Potter," she said. "I accept her as per your recommendation."

"You have my gratitude professor."

The rest of the meeting carried on fairly normally and Harry and his group didn't feel the need to add their opinions into the conversation. Suki and Ed took careful notes, documenting everything that they felt important. Gray fell asleep ten minutes in on Ed's shoulder. Harry noticed a slight blush in his cheeks, but it disappeared in an instant.

"We're going to head to the safe-house, want to come with?" Suki asked Harry.

"Not particularly," Harry answered. "I'm going to drop my luggage off and take a nice nap," he said in explanation. "Just send me the floo address."

"Here, I have it on me at the moment. The place is called 'Sea Cabin,'" Suki said taking out the address. "I don't know the actual address, but that should get you there," she promised and Harry nodded. "See you later," She said before disappearing through the floo, followed by Ed and Gray. Al and Sylvia had been taken by McGonagall to see Hogwarts and prepare for the fall term (which was to start in two weeks).

"Harry, got a minute?" A voice asked from behind him. It belonged to Sirius.

"Hey Sirius," Harry said casually.

"Don't act so nonchalant. I hear you haven't come back in ages! And when you did come, why didn't you visit?" Sirius reprimanded. Harry had the decency to look ashamed.

"Sorry Sirius," he said quietly.

"It's fine," Sirius responded with a hug. "Come over for a little while, Jen would love to see you. It's her fifth year at Hogwarts and she misses you as does Liz." Sirius looked at him with puppy dog eyes, and he caved.

"Alright, let me just drop a few things off and I'll meet back at your place," Harry said and Sirius smiled a smile that reached his eyes. For the first time, Harry saw Sirius' eyes filled with regret, fear and dread. Long gone was the old Sirius he knew. Perhaps his parents' death was harder on Sirius than he could have imagined.

**Some time later:**

Harry arrived in Sirius' living room to be greeted by the entire Black clan, save the youngest.

"Hello Harry dear," Elizabeth, Sirius' wife, greeted. "It's been quite a while since we last saw you."

"Hi Aunt Liz," Harry responded. "You're looking lovely as always," he added causing her to smile.

"Join us for dinner won't you?" Liz asked him.

"I don't want to impose," Harry said, but she waved it away.

"You're family, dear," she said patting his shoulder. "It's no bother." Harry caved.

"Sure," he said hesitantly. Just then, Jen came bounding down the stairs and crashed into him, enveloping him in a hug.

"Harry!" She squealed. "I can't believe you're here!" she said as he tried to pry her off him. She had grown considerably since he was gone, and she was now only a half foot shorter than him.

"I can't breathe!" he said in exaggeration and she finally let go.

"Sorry about that," she muttered but immediately perked up. "It's been a while," she said in attempt to start conversation.

"So I've been told," Harry muttered under his breath. "So how's Hogwarts?" he asked changing the subject.

"Well, controversial if anything," Jen answered. "Snape is Headmaster, and one of Voldemort's cronies replaced him as Slytherin's head," she said rolling her eyes. "His name is Professor Blake, and he's a total idiot. I mean he has to teach potions, but he knows nothing about it. Honestly, I think he's just there to look after Snape since he hates teaching potions," Jan rambled, but Harry paused at the name. Blake sounded familiar.

"What's Blake's first name?" He asked hoping it would lead somewhere.

"I'm not sure. It starts with a W… or maybe a V. I can't remember," she said putting a finger on her chin.

"Is it Victor?" Harry asked grabbing her shoulders. Her face lit up.

"Yeah! That's it" she snapped her fingers. "How'd you know?" she asked curiously. Harry shrugged.

"What other names start with V?" he asked nonchalantly. "So what about Snape? What's going on with him?" Harry asked remembering the meeting.

"No one knows where he stands. He created a dark arts class at Hogwarts but allowed the defense class to stay. He favors Slytherin, but that's not new of course. All in all, no one can really see where he stands. Personally, I think he enjoys having one foot on either side as a failsafe," she babbled. This intrigued Harry though. It was unclear where Snape was, even to him and he had been quite close to the man.

"You don't say," he said thoughtfully, but his thoughts were interrupted by a flare in the fireplace. Thomas tumbled out of the structure, landing gracefully on his feet. When Harry met his eyes, they were full of surprise.

"Hey," they both said awkwardly and in perfect unison. Jen backed out of the room slowly, leaving the two brothers alone. "What're you doing here?" they said again at the same time.

"Sirius invited me after the order meeting," Harry said.

"I was supposed to come today anyway," Thomas answered. "I was pretty surprised to see you today," he added.

"I was surprised when I was hired to come," Harry admitted. "What have you been up to lately?" he asked sincerely. It was time to mend some bridges and Harry had realized that.

"I tried to go to Auror training, but they drafted me into the Aurors before I could finish my first year. They say I should have no trouble, but Sirius usually helps me with what I'm supposed to learn. I have a lesson with him today actually."

"Interesting," Harry responded. "Mind if I join you?" He asked politely. Thomas smiled a small smile.

"Not at all," he said. "In fact, I would appreciate it very much."

At Hogwarts, Al was walking around the school with McGonagall.

"So, how do you like the castle?" she asked him, coming to the gargoyle.

"It's pretty good Mc G," Al said calling McGonagall by her newly appropriated nickname. "Full of mystery and excitement of course."

"Good, then try to pass the interview with the Headmaster, and stop calling me that ridiculous nickname! I gave you permission to call me Minerva, nothing more," she said scowling. He couldn't tell if she was serious or joking.

"Will do Mc G," he said and before she could respond, he gave the password to the gargoyle and disappeared up the spiraling staircase.

"Hello Mr…?" Snape waited for a response from the hopeful. Is back was still to the man, but Al could tell he was tapping his foot lightly.

"Call me Al sir," he requested.

"Very well Mr. Al, I have read your resume. Quite frankly, I need a teacher and I have no desire to work any harder than I have to. You're hired," Snape said swiveling around. Al was surprised.

"Thank you sir," he said putting his hand out to shake.

"Not yet I'm afraid. There are documents to go through first," Snape pointed out a small pile of documents and then directed Al to a quill.

"Of course sir," Alan said, reaching for the quill. "It is best to get rid of the formalities before anything."

"While you sign those, I may as well tell you what Minerva didn't. At Hogwarts we are a family, of sorts, and it is your responsibility to treat the students as your first priority," Snape said and Al nodded, not looking up from the documents. "Of course, we have recreation here as well. We have quidditch games between the houses and casual staff days on weekends. You will also be allowed to visit Hogsmeade, a nearby wizarding town, on certain weekends. I will need a signed permission slip from your guardian of course," Snape joked. Al laughed awkwardly. Even when the greasy haired potion master tried to joke it came out sounding slightly threatening.

"There we are sir," Al said signing the last form. "Am I through?"

"Not quite," Snape said. "We have still not fixed a salary for you yet," Snape reminded him. "How does 30 thousand galleons for the year sound?"

"I'll take it," Al said immediately.

Snape looked slightly surprised, but recovered quickly. "Excellent. Welcome to Hogwarts Mr. Al," Snape extended his hand, and Al shook his hand before leaving his office. Before he could, another man blocked the exit. The man had sleek black hair and a small face. He wore a gray robe and carried himself with confidence.

"Hello, I'm new here," Al greeted thrusting out his hand.

"Professor Blake," the man said, making no move to shake Al's hand.

"I'm Alan Hooke," Al said retracting his hand. The man snorted.

"Pleasure," he said before moving past Al to talk to Snape. Something clicked in Al's head in that second. There was a Blake on the list he had. Carefully, he took out his wand and aimed it at the man's head.

"Profus manifesto," he muttered. In a second, a single sheet of paper appeared in Al's hand with the information he needed. He shoved it in his pocket and walked out of the room in a hurry.

Blake looked at Al's retreating back with an evil smile.

"The new Professor, he will die come end of term," He said gleefully to Severus Snape. Snape showed no sign of having heard the sycophantic professor.

Harry watched as Sirius taught Thomas the basic spells necessary for job of an Auror. It was stuff Harry had mastered years ago. He had refined these skills and added his own flare to them. What Sirius was teaching was nothing new. "Harry, how about a duel?" Sirius asked out of the blue. "Go easy on me now, this is just to show Thomas," Sirius added.

"How about a handicap then?" Harry asked. I'll only use this, Harry said putting on a Wand Hand. He only had thirty spells left on his person, and only ten of them were worth using. Sirius eyed the device carefully and accepted with hesitation.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Sirius sighed.

**A/N: Yeah, another setup chapter. I wasn't really satisfied with this too much, but it had to be done as a segue. **

**I'm sure some of you are confused about where Moody and Harry fought, so I'll clear it up. Harry invaded Moody's mind and inside his mind, they dueled. The pain that either felt, their physical bodies would also feel, but if they lost a limb, they would not actually lose their limb, but go numb for a while. When fighting in the mind, both person's physical bodies enter a trance-like state where neither of them is conscious. **

**Take the time to review if you can, and I'll see u next time!**

**Any questions/comments may be directed at me through either PM or review. Have fun with that.**


	43. Knocturn Ally Beatdown

**Chapter 42**

_Status: One target located, twelve unknown. _

Harry finished the status report in his own living room at five in the morning. He had to report to The Creed every so often and fill out these obnoxious forms every month so the organization could monitor their progress.

"Hey Harry, you want to go out for a bit?" Draco asked coming down the stairs. "Daphne, Theo and I were going to meet at Diagon today," he added.

"Sure, give me a sec," Harry tied his report to the leg of a falcon and turned to Draco. "Where have Daphne and Theo been all day?"

"They left early to go to work," Draco replied avoiding Harry's narrowing eyes.

"Right…" Harry mumbled before going to his room to change clothes.

The alley was bustling with people who stood huddled together. Harry could feel the fear rolling off each and every one of them. Even Draco walked with his cloak's hood covering his face. The young Malfoy was being hunted for by voldemort and thus felt the need to stay under the radar.

"In here," he motioned quietly, motioning to a small building on his left. It was a quiet inn and looked very cozy.

"Why are we in an inn?"

"To get a drink," Draco answered. "This place has slipped past the DE radar. It's much safer than the well known pubs." He motioned to the bar where Harry could see Theo and Daphne. After greeting each other, Harry ordered a scotch and settled down. The four friends took the time to catch up on what they were up to and regale each other with amusing anecdotes.

"Harry, what are you planning to do after everything?" Daphne asked out of curiousity.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean after your contract with this organization runs out, what'll you do?" she asked again while the two guys awaited Harry's response as well.

"A bridge I have no reason to cross yet. I have a three year contract that I recently signed, so I have no reason to worry. But if for some reason I do decide to go for a change of pace, I guess I'll come back to Britain," Harry answered swirling his drink around in its glass. It shone as it swished from side to side of the glass.

"The future cannot be seen even by seers," Theo sagaciously noted. Harry raised his glass as the others grunted their agreement. As Harry moved to put his glass on the counter, it shattered in his hand. The four looked behind them to find seven men dressed in black and red robes.

"Here's a little bunch of traitors," The one on the right muttered. The middle one (who Harry recognized as Hemmingway) seemed to be their leader.

"Quiet Houston," Hemmingway said raising his hand. "Draco Malfoy, you have been found guilty of treason, averting authority as well as fraud. You will come with us quietly or we will be taken by force,"

"Do you have a warrant?" Harry asked before anyone could say anything. Hemmingway glared at him.

"Yes, we do," he said forcefully.

"May we see it?" Harry asked, further annoying the officer.

"Yes," he said. He reached into his robe to find the paper, lowering his wand for an instant. That was all Harry needed.

"Mitus Flaris!" he yelled and a wall of fire rose in front of the four, giving them a clear path to the exit. "Run, run and apparate!" Harry whispered and they did. Harry however stuck around to give them the time they needed. "Expolus Maltus!" he cast, encasing the flames in a layer of thick ice.

The last spell he cast was a blasting spell to break the ice, causing sharp shards to fly everywhere. When all was done and Harry was long gone, Hemmingway and five other death eaters were no longer breathing.

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked coming back home to find Al and Suki in his living room. "I didn't realize you guys were coming," he added.

"We didn't plan to, but there was something that came from the Creed lab for you," Suki said showing him a package. He fling it aside and took a seat. Beside him, Al took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one before taking a small puff.

"Since when do you smoke?" Suki asked, eyebrow raised. Al shrugged.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked, continuing to ignore Suki. "These people are damned near impossible to find," he pointed out. "Speaking of which, I found one of them by pure chance," he added.

"You found Blake, if I'm not mistaken, and he teaches at Hogwarts," Al pouted.

"Lucky guess," Al muttered taking another drag of the drug. "But alas, there is very little we can do unless we can figure out some kind of efficient plan. We need to branch out," Al suggested.

"Screw this, I'm getting a drink," Harry said getting up from his chair. He had someplace better to be.

"_Hello Harry," _Isaac greeted as his friend made his way to his lair. "You seem troubled. The drink is a dead giveaway," he joked.

"Yeah, it's getting to be too much," Harry said. "So how've you been?"

"Lonely down here, you haven't been around to talk to. Sometimes I enjoy scaring the Malfoy boy with my hissing," he mused.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Harry said sheepishly.

"No need to apologize," Isaac assured him. "Now, I have the feeling you have something to ask of me."

"I do," Harry confessed. He explained the situation.

"Your approach is incorrect," Isaac immediately answered.

"In what way?" Harry asked. Despite his growth, he found his instinct lacking compared to Isaac's.

"Instead of chasing your prey, you must get your prey to chase you," he answered. "Now I must request you leave as I am very tired," Isaac added before Harry could ask any questions.

"Indeed old friend," Harry turned to leave. "Indeed." He had what he needed. Now all he needed was a plan.

"My last piece of advice would be to rise in the ranks of those you seek to kill," Isaac hissed before closing his eyes. Harry made his way upstairs with his plan forming more and more each step.

"Draco, is that old dueling arena still open in knockturn?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't recommend going. There are a lot of Death eaters around there and some crazy dark magic," Draco warned.

"Perfect," Harry said grabbing his cloak and making his way to knockturn Alley.

He was disguised as a middle aged man with a five o'clock shadow and a bald head. His green eyes were all he didn't change.

The arena used to be a popular hangout for the late Malfoy. It was a simple place where duelists fought for the entertainment of the people. Many times the fights were to the death. The main attraction however, was the gambling ring. People placed bets on matches and even tournaments for outrageous amounts of money. It was the shadiest place Harry knew with even shadier characters.

"I'm here to enter myself in the next match," He said to the receptionist. To add to the effect of his persona, he scratched his stomach as a very uncouth man would.

"You?" she said staring at him in annoyance. "The fee's fifty galleons," she said realizing he was serious. He paid her and she gave him his number which was a 9. "Your name sir?"

"Rick," he grumbled. "Rick Briggs,"

"The first match starts in twenty minutes." She said curtly

"Thanks," he growled. This would be fun. He needed a few extra bucks to buy himself a nice car anyway. Brooms weren't as useful in muggle populated areas. He sat down next to an interesting looking man. He had on a purple cap and was sporting a bright yellow robe.

"'ello there!" the man said. "Th' name's Howard," he said giddily. Harry got a weird feeling about this man.

"Rick Briggs," Harry responded, looking away. He hoped the man would get the hint, but alas, no such luck.

"I have a good feelin' 'bout the name Briggs," the man said. "I'll be back," he promised and walked to the empty betting booth. He came back a few minutes later and showed Harry the ticket. The man had put four thousand galleons on him!

"You put that much money on me?" Harry asked gruffly.

"Got gre' odds on ya, ninety eight to one in fact, cuz your oppo'ent is number one in this arena," the man said. Harry sighed.

"You bet on me, as opposed to someone you had a better chance to win with?" Harry asked confused.

"Got a goo' feelin' from ya mate," he explained. This was a man Harry would never get.

"An'way, you best get down there, you' match's 'bout to start!"

Harry got up, his wand twirling in his hand and walked down to the arena. He knew all the rules, he had been here enough with Draco and Lucius, though there was only one rule that was actually enforced. Hitting an opponent physically was cause for immediate disqualification.

Slowly, he took his place on the arena. The game was simple; knock your opponent off the arena or kill him to win. His opponent was nowhere in sight, but the announcer was. The creepy looking man walked up to him looking ready to verbally attack him.

"You must be Briggs, the first victim of the notorious Thompson. Confident are you?" the man asked looking to the audience who booed at Harry.

"I'll win," He said curtly.

"Are you ready then?" he asked and the crowd once again felt the need to boo him.

"Show me my opponent," Harry growled and the announcer looked to the audience.

"Have it your way then," he began. "Place your bets as the match is about to begin gentlemen. I give you the reigning champion of the ring, Levi Thompson!" A man about the same height as Weasley, but a bit more bulky walked onto the arena. As expected, most of the crowd went wild, with the exception of Howard. "Now, I want a good clean fight and Thompson, don't make a damn mess of the arena again."

Harry didn't have time for a useless long duel, but he knew he wouldn't be welcome here if the audience wasn't entertained.

"Serpentus Obstructus!" Thompson yelled and a huge boa constrictor burst from his wand. It started to attack Harry, but backed off as soon as he let it feel that he was its superior. Levi didn't look very happy. "Vidilus Vius!" A pack of hounds escaped from his wand and brandished their teeth at Harry.

"Reducto!" Harry yelled and the dogs were crushed. Everyone in the arena laughed.

"You won't bear me by using schoolyard jinxes boy!" Levi laughed. Harry's blood boiled. "Go back to the schoolyard boy!" Harry pulled out his second wand and cast a dual spell he had been working on in rage. It was a combination of a blasting hex and a jelly legs jinx and the equation baffled him. He didn't know what they would do. Levi pulled up a shield; the hex simply went through it as if the shield wasn't there.

The end result was a simple jelly legs hex that could go through any shield. Once Levi lost his balance, Harry used a simple knock-back spell to push him out of the arena. The match was over faster than Harry had planned, but the audience was silent. Harry walked off and reclaimed his seat next to a very giddy Howard.

"Take a 'ew galleons 'ff me mate, ya earned 'em!" Howard said offering Harry a thousand galleons. Harry refused them politely, but Howard insisted. In the end, he ended up taking seven hundred. Apparently, Howard had bet 4000 on ever match Harry had in the tournament before the first match. The odds he bet on per match were none less than ninety to one, and if Harry won, the man would be set for a nice retirement. Now that Harry had a good look at him, he seemed to be in his sixties or early seventies.

"Say Howard, what did you do before you retired?" Harry asked.

"Well Rick, I ran a d'gy shop dow' tha alley. Ma grands'n run it now if ya need 'nythin'" Howard offered. "We sell all 'indsa goods down 'ere. Betcha lookin' fo' somethin' aint ya?"

"If I need anything I'll be sure to stop by," Harry promised taking down the store's name in his mind. "Ya best get 'own 'ere," he advised, and Harry did. The next five matches were a blur that ended with Harry winning a nonviolent victory.

After the last match Harry was sitting with Howard when a man came up to him.

"Hello Mr. Briggs," the man greeted. "My name is Reginald Tails," he extended his hand. Harry shook it.

"Pleasure," Harry said dryly.

"Your performance was most impressive," Tails complimented

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Harry answered as the man sat down.

"Your approach was original and clever. I think everyone enjoyed your astounding duels," Tails continued. "Interesting attack you used first round though. The effect it had was incredible. I was wondering if you would be interested in perhaps stepping up to some more challenging fights here at The Arena?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, you can't honestly think that this tournament was the best we have at the arena. This was for the peddlers and any idiot could enter. The real clientele come for the real tournaments," he said with a hint of pride. "Which are coincidentally invitation only."

"Real clientele?" Harry feigned ignorance.

"Some of the most prestigious people in Britain, politicians and aristocrats and such, come here to watch the best of the best duel. I think you could really duel in some real matches," he said reaching into his pocket. "If you are interested, there is a tournament next week and I can reserve a place for you to compete. The prize is two grand galleons," he added with a wink.

"Alright, I'll be there. When is it?" He asked, giving in to temptation. This was almost too good to be true.

"In exactly one week," Tails wrote something down on a piece of paper before tipping his hat and taking his leave. "Be here at 11 pm sharp," he said as he waved his hand one last time. Harry sighed and got up to leave as well leaving the old man to sleep on the chair he was sitting on, content with the day's returns.

Harry apparated to the safe-house where he had hoped to find everyone. Unluckily for him however, the only one there was Suki and a pile of burned and cut up furniture.

"What happened?" he asked Suki who was sitting on the only chair available.

"Long story," she groaned. "Gray and Ed had a fight that got out of hand…" Harry held up his hand.

"Say no more," he muttered in complete understanding. "So where is everyone?"

"At Hogwarts," she answered. "I think you should head there too. The Scottish lady asked for your presence," Suki handed him a shoelace which he took. As he expected, it was a portkey to the office of Minerva McGonagall. In said office were Al, Ed, Gray and McGonagall sitting around a desk with files scattered about them.

"What are those?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow at the heaps of files

"These are the files I got from a certain professor's quarters this evening," Al said smirking cockily. "They have profiles of every single death eater in the upper and inner circles," he added.

"Interesting," Harry said grabbing the one nearest him before flipping through it. "This is perfect."

"So where exactly were you today Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked pointedly.

"I spent my time in the Arena in knockturn," he said and his words were met with a disapproving glare.

"Knockturn Ally is a very dangerous place," the professor said shortly.

"And precisely the place where each of these people will be found. The Arena is oozing with death eaters gambling and getting drunk," Harry argued. Al's eyes suddenly drifted to Harry's neck and widened.

"Harry, you're bleeding purple…" he said shakily, pointing his finger at Harry. Harry reached where Al was pointing and felt wetness. He pulled his hand back into his line of sight. Sure enough, there was blood… and it was purple.

**A/N: Ugh, took over a month and yes, I know we didn't get anywhere. I had writers block, I could see my target, but just couldn't figure out how to get to it. Anyway, hopefully this will keep you company. **

**Now to answer a few reviews; one person mentioned Harry went from a "badass" to a "weakling." Let it be noted Harry is in no way weak. He is simply surrounded by others of his caliber, making him look weaker. Let it also be know Nick is stronger than Harry as is his friend Drake, who will soon be introduced very vaguely (not to be confused with Draco). **

**I know that this crappy chapter took me 20 or more days to pull out, but bear with me until my judgment day, which shall be arriving very soon, but not soon enough. If anyone would like a tidbit of my life here's an issue for the techies. **

**I need a signature for a forum, 250 x 500 max size, of an anime character, Echizen Ryoma from Prince of Tennis. If anyone knows who this is or what anime I'm talking about, please make me a sig with him in a cool pose nice background and the quote "Mada Mada Dane" I wouldn't say no to Tezuka with one of his catch phrases either**

**I'm trying to figure out a simple way to jailbreak my 2gen Ipod touch, if anyone has a simple and relatively nice way to do this I would be happy to hear it. **

**Well until the next time I guess…**


	44. Author's note of apology

Authors Note:

Hi hopefully within 48 hours, this note will be replaced by a new chapter. First off, I want to thank all of you who reviewed during my Hiatus and would like to answer some of your reviews (nothing personal, but I felt it would b nice to get rid of a few questions. Lets start with the obvious:

I haven't updated because of many things. The foremost excuse I had was it was my last year in highschool. Any writing I did involved a college in some way shape or form. Other than that well… it was a terrible year because I was lazy. I admit everything is my fault on that, but no matter how much I want to blame it on my depressing senior year, its not the true reason I didn't update.

Honestly I had a whole roadmap painted along for the story, and I know all of you who liked it thusfar will love what I had in mind, but I simply lost my way along the road. Now I could go back, edit stuff etc, but I want to see what I can do without turning back. I ask that you please bear with me through a few setup chapters, Im sorry, but I really need to make the storyline back on track, so little by little exciting events will indeed happen.

Now as for Alice, she was the original pairing for Harry, but I didn't like her and felt she would make a better… well you'll see and you'll all hate her soon enough. Yes, Harry had a small crush on her but as well all know, life doesn't always give you a jackpot on your first coin.

Hermione is going to be a fairly side character and though I am not a fan of Dramione, I will admit many people do like it, therefore it will remain. Ron was my comic relief, and I frankly enjoyed writing him the most. Frankly he was one of the most annoying characters rowling made, but that is my opinion of him. Others may like him, and I respect that.

Now a few people commented on the cursing in one chapter. I will get rid of that, and heres why: originally I had pleaded that it was part of character development, but I trashed the character so there goes that. That chapter was a vent for something, I do not remember what, but it was a way for me to vent. For those offended by it, accept my deepest apologies.

As I said, I will be updating this story and since its summer, I will try my best to upload twice a week as soon as I get my engine going. This is a new laptop, so I don't have my old chapters anymore so it's a clean slate in more than many ways.

If anyone is good at drawing or has the time, I would be grateful if someone would draw what they believe Harry's animagus form looks like and show it to me via photobucket or some image hosting site as I want to know how accurately I described it. Thank you if you do choose to help me with that. Whoever lost time to write their essay, Im sorry, but it makes me happy you liked my story that much. Also, I cant feel too bad for you because I have been in the same predicament and learned from it (at a price). Anyway, thanks again to anyone who reviewed and Im really excited to keep writing. I only hope that you all will stick with me till the very end.


	45. An unexpected visitor

**Chapter 43**

The blood trickled from his neck, snaking its way to the ground. "What the hell is this?" Harry asked waving his hand in front of Suki.

"Hold still!" she ordered and grabbed his hand. With one fluid motion she slashed his hand with her nail causing him to scream in pain.

"OW!" he hollered. "What was that for?" he asked and she pointed at the wound.

"The blood here is still red. This isn't natural. Someone hexed you." She said resealing his wound.

"And I'd guess it was a death eater too," Ed muttered staring at the floor. Written in purple blood, was the phrase "Stay out of our Lord's way."

"So it's a small threat, big deal. Now what's the situation on the wound?" he asked Suki who was waving a wand around him.

"I can fix it," she said finally.

"How long exactly will that take?" Al asked slightly panicked.

"About an hour, why?" Suki asked, eyebrows raised.

"We've got company," he pointed at the window. "And they don't look happy." Indeed, about forty death eaters were coming up on the Hogwarts lawn, the leader brandishing a small scroll. The group was met in the middle of the courtyard by headmaster Snape.

"Hell gentlemen, how may I help you?" Snape asked snootily.

"You can get out of the bloody way," A death eater yelled. Clearly he had issues with Snape. The death eater with the scroll lowered his hood. Rookwood's face was revealed to Snape.

"We have come to search the castle. _He _has gotten word that a member of the Potter family is inside at the moment. We have already closed off all floo going in and out of the school. Would you care to show us inside Severus?"

"Of course, if he has ordered it. I assure you however that that brat of a boy-who-lived has not shown his face near here since his graduation," Snape promised as he turned around. "But if it will satisfy your curiosity you may indeed see for yourself."

"It's not the boy we're looking for; its his brother." Rookwood said with a crooked smile. Snape froze; he had forgotten that Harry was too a Potter, but he quickly regained his composure.

Without a word, he led them into the castle, wondering whether Harry was indeed inside the castle. Meanwhile in McGonagall's office, a quick conversation was taking place.

"Why don't we just kill them all?" Ed suggested taking out his new sword. The blade shone as the light reflected off it and he ran a hand softly across the metal.

"No, on the off chance one lives and alerts Voldemort we're screwed," Harry answered as Suki continued to work on his neck. "Just gimme a quick patch. We can have it correctly done later," Harry suggested.

"Then we wont let a single one escape," Ed said. "Kill them all, no mistakes."

"And what happens when Voldemort realizes that they're dead? Remember the death eater professor? He can easily tell him and right now we're in no position to kill him too."

"Then what do you suggest?" Al asked before their time ran out.

"It's a big castle, we can hide. Professor, are any of the 11 secret passages unsealed?" Harry asked. McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"11? We sealed 6! My heavens we missed quite a few," she muttered. Harry stared at her. "Right, not the time. So anyway, there are five open, and I believe you know your way around the castle?" she stated and Harry nodded and got up.

Where however could he take them? The chamber of secrets was one of the many options he had, but that would mean giving up a place which was sacred on many levels. The best place to be was definitely…

"So are you satisfied?" Snape asked with a sneer. Rookwood looked down clearly angry.

"The boy is clearly not here. We will take our leave," Rookwood said bitingly. Snape couldn't help but smile as he walked back to the gargoyle that was in his office. "Polyjuice," he muttered and the gargoyle sprang aside to let him in. As he approached his desk, his chair swiveled around and inside sat Harry. "Potter!" Snape exclaimed in surprise. "So you were here."

"What happened to you Snape?' Harry asked ignoring Snape's questions. "You used to be on Dumbledore's side, I was almost certain of it in fact."

"I'm a Slytherin. I choose the side that best suits me, whether I believe in it or not." He reminded Harry.

"Oddly enough I don't believe that," Harry said standing up. "You're making a mistake Snape," he said only to find himself facing the tip of the man's wand.

"You are the one making a mistake. If I chose to, I could kill you right now," He said, his eyes devoid of emotion. Harry smiled.

"Then go ahead," Harry challenged. Snape's face contorted as he seemed to be struggling with his options.

"Sectumsempra," he said and with a flash, the curse zoomed at Harry's arm. All it did however, was make a small cut along his forearm.

"You could never attack me Snape. You wouldn't hurt a student despite what they did," Harry said. "Just be sure to remember this. If we meet on opposite sides, I won't hesitate to kill you," he promised before walking out of the office.

Snape slammed his fist on the wall as soon as the boy closed the door behind him.

Outside the castle, Harry met up with the others.

"The floo has been disconnected," Al informed Harry. "How do we get home now?"

"Well we could walk to hogsmeade and then apparate from there, or we could walk back home. Its your call, really," Harry answered.

"Which way to Hogsmeade?" Gray asked hands on her hips. Harry made a motion to the left and they began to move.

"Potter!" A scream came from behind them. "I knew you were here!" Behind them, Augustus Rookwood stood in all his glory.

"You guys go ahead, Ill be back in just a minute," Harry said cracking his knuckles before turning around and facing his attacker. "Terra sequestus!" he said flipping his wrist in Rookwood's direction. In a split second, the earth around Rook wood rose and formed into a cage, trapping the man. In the next moment, his wand flew away and shattered on a nearby rock.

"Now Rookwood, you have some explaining to do," Harry said with an evil smirk.

**A/N: Short, I know, but it was created in less than 24 hrs... so I find it not terrible for that time. Anyway, just try to review to let me know people are still reading this. It would really motivate me a bit.**

**Anyway, back on track and for the person who said Harry/Alice was a bad pairing... well know that im not USING that pairing. Anyway review**


	46. A Warm Welcome

**Chapter 44**

Harry approached the defenseless death eater, twirling his wand in his hand. "Tell me what I want to know Rookwood and you're free to go, how does that sound?" Harry asked an evil grin on his face. Rookwood's look of surprise changed to one of arrogance.

"And if I refuse?" He asked with a crooked smile.

"Then I'll just retrieve the information myself," Harry promised, raising his wand. "Tell me what Voldemort is planning?" Harry said and Rookwood laughed. A snake leapt out of Harry's wand and found a place for itself on Rookwood's neck. "Answer, or the snake will tighten its grip on you."

"Don't be ridiculous Potter, I'd rather die that betray my lord. Besides do you believe he will leave me to die? He knows you're here, and he has an army that could take on any threat that came his way. He'll save me, I've been loyal to him," Rookwood laughed feverishly. Harry hissed angrily and his snake tightened his grip around the man's neck. Rookwood's eyes darted around for signs of backup, but none came. As he came to the realize that he was on his own, that no one would be able to or want to help him, his glorified vision of his master slowly faded and was replaced with a more accurate portrait of who the man really was. Voldemort wouldn't come for him, a lowly death eater, and a mere pawn in his game. As he realized this, that the queen never came to sacrifice herself for a pawn, he felt that he would need to fight for himself. This was a battle he would have to fight alone. The imaginary safety net was not there, nor had it ever been. All that was left should he fall was the cold floor that would give him the release of death. At that moment, his mind emptied of all goals, except to save himself. That was all he could think of and all he could see. For the first time, he forgot about the dark lord, his death eater buddies and which hooker he would choose as a reward for his hard work. All that mattered was the snake on his neck and how he would remove it.

The death eater clawed at the snake's form, but couldn't get the beat to loosen its grip on his neck. "The dark lord has people in the ministry. Slowly he will take over the government of this country and begin purging muggles and mudbloods alike. He's already killed over 3000 of them since his take-over." Rookwood spat.

"Where is he currently residing?" Harry asked, taking in the knowledge Rookwood had provided. In his musings, he missed the movement Rookwood made with his left hand. The earth cage shattered and the snake loosened and fell to the ground. In a second, Rookwood had his wand back.

"Sorry Potter, but time's up. AVADA KEDAVRA!" He screamed and a jet of green shot out towards Harry. As the boy dodged the spell, he flicked his wand up and sharply brought it down. Rookwood's head was severed from his body.

"Your punishment Rookwood, is the guillotine." He was of course referring to the spell he had just used. "Now to hide the pieces," he muttered to himself. The problem was solved however when seven threshtals gathered around the body and began to slowly eat the corpse of the man. Satisfied, he moved to catch up with his friends.

"So, where to?" Al asked as they neared Hogsmeade.

"Let's go a bit farther, I'm in the mood for a drink," Harry said pointing to the Hog's head. There was always a shady character somewhere in that bar.

"This place is disgusting," Gray muttered as they walked inside. Harry altered his appearance as Suki muttered her agreement with Gray. He was in no place to argue with them either. The pub wasn't the most hospitable place in the world. The dirty unwashed glasses which hug on the wall, dust caked bottles of liquor on the shelf, and the disturbing smell did nothing to make the pub inviting.

"You can walk around the town if you want," Harry offered. "I'll only be a minute." The girls and Ed didn't need to be asked twice. Al however decided to stay.

"Can I smoke in here?' he asked, but before Harry could answer, he lit one up anyway. Al closed his eyes as he released the smoke into the air. His eyes closed and he smiled as the calming feeling of the tobacco took control. Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust

"Must you do that so often?" Harry asked. "I don't think they let you smoke in the castle," he reminded Al.

"If teachers can drink, then I can smoke," Al said. "So, what are we here for?" Harry put his hood up and indicated Al do the same. "Besides, the smoke actually improves the smell of _this_ place," Al pointed out cheekily.

"Eavesdrop a bit, see if you hear anything interesting." Harry instructed. "Fancy a drink?" he asked Al who shook his head. "One firewhiskey in a bottle," he told the bartender, after taking a glance at the disgusting cups.

"Aye lad, coming right up," the barkeep said, grabbing a bottle from behind him. "Haven't seen you around these parts before, what brings you here?" he asked.

"He's teaching at the school this year, and we heard this place is good for a drink or two," Harry said casually.

"It's good for more than drinks. Here, even the walls have ears and there's plenty to hear, if you know what I mean," and Harry did indeed know what he meant.

"Any of them pass through lately?" Harry whispered casually. The barkeep nodded.

"Been coming 'ere every day I tell ya. Think something's up, but don't have a clue what it is." He said washing a glass.

"What do you know then?" Harry asked. The bartender knew something, and he knew Harry wanted the information.

"What's it worth to ya?" He asked bluntly. Clearly this wasn't something he was new to. Harry placed 100 galleons on the table and slid it towards the man who casually placed it inside a drawer before looking left and right. "Right then, I don't know much, but I do know that there's gunna be an attack on this 'ere school." He said quickly. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked, eyes narrowing. The barkeep did a quick check to make sure no one was listening yet again.

"Muggleborn children are still being accepted to Hogwarts. Snape says there ain't nothing he can do to stop them from getting letters," he began, "so they're plannin' to attack and kill as many as they can who ain't purebloods, but I don't think they'll leave anyone withou' a Slytherin emblem alone." The barkeep finished the glass he was working on and turned away. "The drink's on the house, now get outta 'ere."

Harry nodded and Al put out his cigarette and placed it in a nearby receptacle. "Well that was fruitless," he said as he reached for his pack.

"Not entirely; now we know that placing you in Hogwarts wasn't the worst idea," Harry pointed out. "Besides who knows, there may be an ulterior motive behind this attack."

"You think that it's a cover up?" Al asked pulling out his lighter to light another cigarette.

"There's something he want to do, and he wants it done quietly without a soul figuring it out. Hiding it behind an obvious show makes it much more discrete," Harry pointed out.

"What do you mean?"

"He gave everyone information well ahead of time. School doesn't start for quite some time. That gives a nice opening to let the information of the attack leak out. The noticeable detail he must have left out was when it would happen. He wants to make sure everyone sees his motive, but that's all they see." Harry calculated.

"Clever, diverting attention by attracting it; hiding in plain sight," Al mumbled. "What's going on over there?" Al asked noticing a crowd of people in a circular formation. The pair looked at each other and made a beeline for the center of the circle. In the middle was Suki holding the neck of Madam Rosmerta. Frantically, she was waving her wand trying out as many spells as possible while giant bead of sweat slid down her cheeks.

Upon closer inspection, there was a dark mark burned into the woman's neck. Slowly, Suki placed the woman's neck on the ground and conjured a blanket to cover her. "Time of death 6:03 pm," she said moving towards Gray and Ed. Slowly the crowd began to disperse. The body of the barmaid was still warm and her skin a pearly white, almost ghostly. She seemed so peaceful, yet utterly disturbing at the same time. Her eyes, still open, seemed to express the shock she must have felt at the time of her death. With tears in her eyes, Suki put a finger to each eyelid and brought it down. A small sob full of sadness and regret escaped her.

"What happened?" Harry asked the others.

"It happened so quickly, we weren't sure what was going on," Gray said nearly hysterical. "Someone came into the pub and sat down, and then asked to talk to the maid outside. We heard a scream, and when we went outside, he had his wand to her neck and that mark appeared. She just wouldn't stop screaming," Gray continued.

"Cause of death?" Harry asked Suki.

"Blood loss," she said, "Which is interesting seeing as there isn't a single wound on her body."

"That's because the cause of death wasn't blood loss; it was poisoning," Al said. While they had been talking he had examined the body. Slowly, he reached into her back and pulled out a small needle. "This poison is a class-A illegal. The recipe for it isn't available to the public so it has to be made by a skilled potions master. In 1942 the poison was used to get rid of poison in the bloodstream, but instead of absorbing the only the tainted blood, it absorbed both healthy and unhealthy blood," Al recited from memory.

"So where does that leave us?" Harry asked. Al smiled in response.

"Well, now we have something valuable; a sample of the poison," he pointed out. "Now, if we look carefully into its structure we can create both the potion and a possible antidote," He added.

"That's not all," Gray said pointing to the woman. The small would was oozing with purple blood, very similar to that which Harry had bled. Slowly it formed words, which sent chills down Harry's spine.

'Welcome Home Harry'

"Fuck me," Harry groaned putting his hand on his forehead.

**A/N: It's been a busy month with a lot for stuff to do, so I'm sorry this didn't get up. It was meant to be posted three days ago, but I haven't been able to get on my FF account for about a week so not entirely my fault there. **

**So basically, tell me what you think, concerns comments w/e. Btw if anyone saw the Roddick/Isner match it was amazing. Extremely fun to watch, almost cried in the first set when roddick was playing the way he was. Almost lost because of it. **


	47. A Detour

**Chapter 45**

The moment however was short lived. In a flash, a black blur flung himself upon Harry and before anyone could take in what was happening, the pair was whisked away by a portkey.

The pair re-appeared in a small room with no windows. The odor of trapped air immediately overwhelmed Harry's senses as did the gray that surrounded them all around. Without thinking, he kicked hard at the mass that had grabbed him and took a quick look around the room. There was only one way out- a lone door guarded by another man in a black cloak. Around the room, there were a total of four men in these cloaks, their faces shrouded.

In an instant the three others (one being the thing he kicked) raised their hands and bound Harry to a chair in the corner of the room. His hands were bound tightly to the back of the chair, giving him very little range in which to move them in.

"What the hell do you want?" He spat at the hooded figures. In this darkness, they resembled shadows more than actual humans. None of the four bothered to respond to him, but instead stood in front of his, all four wands pointed at a nearby wall. Soon Harry could make out a shape appearing in the wall. It was a face, one that soon came into focus as Lord Voldemort's. It seemed that the Dark Lord was in a dark and dreary living room, his trusty pet snake at his side. His right hand slowly stroked the snake's head, as the snake's eyes looked into Harry's menacingly

"Hello Harry," the dark lord said casually. "Welcome back to Britain."

"Thanks," Harry responded dryly. "The welcome party however was quite unnecessary."

"It was no trouble," Voldemort assured with a cruel smile.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, getting straight to the point.

"Now, now, is that any way to talk to a man who may hold your life in his hands? If I wanted to, I could kill you right now," Voldemort warned.

"If you had wanted me dead, you would have killed me by now, so you need me alive don't you?" Harry replied.

"Very clever, as expected of a fellow Slytherin," Voldemort said. "Yes you are correct, I do want to ask something of you. We have no reason to fight do we Harry? Yet we both have a common enemy, your brother. I can see it in your eyes that you despise him, just as I do."

"I don't despise him, he's my brother!" Harry responded through gritted teeth.

"Oh but you do. You've hated him for his fame and his glory seeking ways. You've hated how he was always the object of everyone's affections, and you've hated him simply for being who he is," Voldemort said with an evil smirk. "Join me Harry, and I will help you rid yourself of him."

"And if I refuse?" Harry asked, trying desperately to find a way out.

"Why would you refuse? I can offer you power you can't even imagine, knowledge you didn't know existed and spells that can do amazing things." Voldemort said gesturing around him. "Take a look at my newest experiments; these four men in the room with you now have taken a potion to remove their emotions. They are a breed of soldier that feel no fear, loss or pain achieved through research and breaking of boundaries. You cannot learn magic like this at Hogwarts or Durmstrang. Join me and I can show you the true wonders of magic."

Harry slowly began to form an idea. "Sorry, but I'm going to have to decline your generous offer," he responded looking Voldemort's projection straight in the eye.

"Very well Potter, you leave me no choice," Voldemort said, his voice turning cold. "Kill him," he ordered his four minions.

Harry however was ready for this sort of order. As soon as the four figures raised their wands, he pushed himself and the chair backwards as hard as he could into minion number one. The minion crumbled under the physical blow and Harry heard a few of his bones crack. Before the other three's spells hit him, he flipped over and shielded himself with the bottom of the chair. With a resounding crack, the wooden chair burst into thousands of pieces which flew all over the room, some taking refuge in Harry's back and legs. Luckily, one of the disembodied legs of the chair flew into another one of the minions, knocking them out as well. Now it was a bit more fair a fight with only two left.

Both fired of a series of killing curses silently as Harry moved to avoid the green beams of death while firing back spells of his own. The minions were quick to wave his magic off with a quick flick of their wands.

The exchange continued as the two soon began to back Harry into a corner, away from the door. Slowly running out of options, Harry panicked.

"_Salvo!" _He hollered and a jet of flame erupted from the tip of his wand. The blast caught the robes of the two minions and burned away their hoods. What lay beneath the cloth scared harry to his very core. The faces of the two were no longer even remotely human. Their faces were adorned with wrinkles and their eyes empty and devoid of any soul. Ontop of that, their skin was peeling and had a greenish hue to it.

Harry had no time at all to wonder what had been done to the two as one of the walls caught on fire. The room must have been painted with highly flammable paint perhaps even on purpose. Without thinking, he ran to the door, blasting it open before he reached it and running as far as he could from the fire.

The door led to a poorly lit hallway, of the same dreary design as the room. This led Harry to believe that he was in the depths of a manor or castle. Behind him, he could feel the heat of the fire creeping up on him from behind, so he took a chance and turned right. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a flicker of fire dancing towards him gleefully.

Another intersection came and he took a sharp left. As he gained a few feet on the fire, he realized he may be able to apparate and so with hogsmeade in mind, he tried to disappear with a pop only to find himself dizzy on the floor of the castle/manor with the fire inches from his person.

With a quick thrust of his leg, he pushed himself away and cast out a jet of cold water upon the fire. While this did subdue the flames slightly, it also served to cloud Harry's vision by creating copious amounts of steam.

A final idea entered Harry's mind and as any other alternative would have been more tedious he allowed himself to try it. With all his might, he pointed his wand towards a wall and cried "_Confringo!_"

The wall crumbled, much to Harry's relief and released him from his very dull prison… only to put him in a very dreary graveyard.

Slowly, his eyes wandered from the hundreds of headstones to the thousands of skeletons lying amiss the place. The smell of rotting corpses filled his nostrils as he turned to find freshly dead bodies leaned up against the infrastructure he had just escaped.

"Where the hell am I?" He muttered to himself. Suddenly he felt a small prick at the back of his neck. Turning swiftly, his wand poised to attack, he saw the building behind him being swallowed by the growing fire. He needed to get as far away as he could.

"Help!" He heard a voice call from above. Looking around, he saw a boy behind a window, knocking on the glass on the higher floor of the structure. "Please, help me Mr. Potter!" The boy screamed and Harry couldn't help but stare.

How did the boy know his name?


End file.
